Morgan State University said it has been a record year for applications.
In a statement Monday, the Maryland university said it had received more than 14,600 undergraduate applications for the fall semester of 2021, a record and a 58.5% increase over 2019 numbers.
The university has also gotten more than 1,000 graduate school applications – nearly a 10% rise over 2019 – and almost 1,200 applications for housing, a 54.6% increase.
“We have faced challenges during the pandemic and have seen some of our natural growth stifled as a result; however, what these record numbers of applications are revealing is that educational attainment is still very important to a great number of people and that there is a tremendous appetite to receive that education at Morgan,” President David Wilson said in the statement.
“What we’ve put in place here at the university, in terms of programs and opportunities, is unique and attractive to both traditional and nontraditional students. We look forward to capitalizing on this monumental interest and building for the future.”
The university said the increased numbers were due to several factors, including a nationwide spike in college applications and a renewed interest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Morgan State generally takes between 1,600 and 1,800 new students per year, the university said in the statement.