Winston-Salem State is seeing enrollment climb, with the HBCU welcoming 5,210 students for fall 2026, its largest total since 2021.
The university announced a 9.1% enrollment increase compared with 2023. Growth includes gains among first-time freshmen and graduate students, alongside a decade-high academic benchmark for its incoming class.
WSSU welcomed 1,120 first-time freshmen this fall, up 27% from 2023. Those students arrived with an average high school GPA of 3.4. That marks the highest average in the university’s comparative enrollment data spanning the past decade.
Graduate enrollment also reached a milestone. The university reported 681 graduate students, a 32% increase from 2023 and its highest total in at least 10 years.
Those comparisons measure growth since 2023, rather than a single-year jump. Together, they show Winston-Salem State attracting more students at both the undergraduate entry point and the graduate level.
HBCU growth comes with a focus on student success
Chancellor Bonita J. Brown took the helm in 2024. As her administration enters its third year, she says supporting students remains central to the university’s growth.
“These results tell an important story about Winston-Salem State University,” Brown said. “More students are choosing WSSU, and we are welcoming one of our strongest incoming classes.”
Brown also emphasized what must follow those enrollment gains.
“As my administration enters year three, our focus is not growth for growth’s sake. It is ensuring that every student who chooses WSSU has the opportunity to thrive — from the moment they arrive on our campus through graduation and career success.”
The HBCU links that commitment to “We Are Rising 2030,” its strategic plan. Priorities include student success, academic excellence, stronger institutional operations and expanded impact and visibility.
Supporting students beyond enrollment
Winston-Salem State has also created a Division of Student Success under Brown’s leadership. The division coordinates work around retention, persistence and graduation.
That work addresses a central challenge accompanying enrollment growth: helping students continue their education and complete their degrees.
The university’s announcement also highlighted two national honors recognizing its approach to student support and teaching.
In 2025, WSSU received a UNCF UNITE Student Champion Award for its student-first approach, leadership and innovation. It also received the Association of College and University Educators’ Movement Maker Award for strengthening faculty instruction and improving student outcomes.
For the public North Carolina HBCU, the fall numbers represent a larger student population and stronger demand across key groups. Brown’s stated priority is ensuring that enrollment momentum carries through to graduation and career success.