The new school year will soon commence at the University of Mississippi, and according to Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, this year’s freshman class will once again be the largest in school history.
“This is the best time of the year,” Tannehill said during an appearance on The Gallo Show. “You get all these happy, enthusiastic 18-year-olds that bring a new level of energy to our community. And we’ve got more 18-year-olds than we’ve ever had before in this huge freshman class – a record-setting class.”
While enrollment numbers won’t be finalized until later this fall, Tannehill did mention that year’s freshman class is so large that the university has had to acquire off-campus housing to offer students who cannot get a dorm on campus.
Off-campus options available for the 2024-25 academic year include apartment complexes such as Lark Oxford, The Quarters at Oxford, and Gather at Oxford. In the meantime, Ole Miss is working to construct additional housing complexes on campus.
“This large freshman class and the lack of housing on campus certainly cause some growing pains for us, but I’m thrilled Oxford is a place people want to be,” Tannehill continued. “I’m thrilled parents trust us to take care of their kids for four years, and I take that responsibility very seriously.”
Oxford, which only has around 28,000 taxpayers per the U.S. Census, is home to around 70,000 during the school year. During home football weekends, more than 300,000 people can be found walking the streets of the Square and campus.
Tannehill said while the influx of people during the fall and spring has its challenges, they’re challenges she wouldn’t trade.
“You have to have infrastructure in place every day of the year to support 300,000 people flushing the toilet. These are the things that keep mayors up at night – where they park their cars, where they lay their heads, and do we have enough water and sewer capacity,” she explained. “But I say often that if the greatest challenges that you have are the result of tremendous growth in Mississippi, you say thank you.”
Classes begin at the University of Mississippi on Monday, Aug. 26. The school reported record classes and overall enrollment in both 2023-24 and 2022-23.
