ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – This year, McMurry University will enter its second century as an educational institution, the school founded in 1923. But that’s not the only milestone it’s celebrating. At 2,556 students, the university’s 2023-2024 enrollment is the largest class it’s welcomed in its 100-year history.

“Just since last year, we’ve doubled the student body at McMurry from about 1,250 students last fall to over 2,500 this fall,” boasted McMurry’s Vice President of Enrollment Management, Grant Greenwood.

This growth is an increase of 105% from last year’s count. Greenwood told KTAB/KRBC he feels the school’s recent addition of undergrad programs is partially responsible for this boom.

“We realized students are seeking an education in a variety of ways, and so I think our ability to connect with those students is really representative of the type of institution we are,” Greenwood said.

Of those 2,500+ students, not all of them are living on campus, or even in Taylor County for that matter. McMurry’s Dual-Credit Academy began with one partner school and now offers college credit curriculum to more than 75 partner schools across the state.

For 2023, at least 14,000 high school students are enrolled. Through this program, these young students are able to earn college credits early via online courses, and some under the tutelage of adjunct McMurry professors.

“There are more students currently enrolled in our dual credit program than we have in all of our other programs combined,” expanded Greenwood.

At a time when many schools are experiencing cutbacks, this program, and others like it allow Texas high schools to broaden the offerings in staffing and curriculum available to their students.

Participants in this program are also eligible for a $1,000 scholarship to attend McMurry after graduation. Greenwood told KTAB/KRBC, in the four school terms since the program went statewide, McMurry U has seen many high schoolers come on board as full-time students.

“We already have students applying to McMurry that began with the dual-credit academy, and this fall, we will have students that started with dual-credit programing actually translate to full-time students on our campus here in Abilene,” Greenwood added.

Both Abilene Christian and Hardin-Simmons universities also offer some kind of dual-credit programming. McMurry University will hold its Centennial Celebration Gala Saturday, October 28 at the Abilene Convention Center.