Benedict College is once again bucking a national enrollment trend. For the second consecutive year, the Columbia, South Carolina, HBCU has welcomed an incoming class made up of a majority of male students, a notable feat as colleges nationwide continue to grapple with gaps in male enrollment.

The milestone is especially significant at an HBCU, where women have historically represented a larger share of the student population. And at Benedict, this isn’t just a one-year anomaly. Last year, men accounted for 54 percent of Benedict College’s incoming fall class. This year, they made up 53 percent.

Those numbers stand out against broader enrollment patterns. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, men made up about 42 percent of undergraduate students nationwide in 2024. Among Black 18- to 24-year-olds, the college enrollment rate was 32 percent for men compared with 39 percent for women in 2022.

The disparity is particularly pronounced at HBCUs. Black men accounted for just 26 percent of HBCU students in 2022, down from 38 percent in 1976, according to reporting by The Root.

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Benedict’s enrollment gains extend beyond the gender makeup of its incoming class. Its Fall 2026 class included 731 new traditional undergraduate students, the college’s largest incoming class in that category since 2019, according to a university press release.

Benedict credits part of that growth to intentional outreach and efforts to expand access to the institution.

“As more students choose Benedict, we remain focused on expanding opportunity, delivering academic excellence, and preparing our students to lead and serve. We are proud to welcome another strong class of new Tigers to our community,” Benedict College President and CEO Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis said.

Getting more young men to enroll in college, however, is only part of the challenge. Keeping them enrolled and providing the resources they need to graduate is just as important. Benedict says its approach extends beyond recruitment, pairing enrollment efforts with academic and leadership support designed to help students succeed after they arrive on campus.