SUMTER, S.C. — For the first time in six years, Morris College is reporting significant gains in both student enrollment and retention, and school leaders say it’s not a coincidence.

According to an Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) report shared by the college, enrollment at the Sumter-based HBCU has grown steadily over the past four years. The student body increased from 396 students in Fall 2021 to 491 in Fall 2025, marking a 28% rise. Even more striking, retention has jumped to 71%, compared to a five-year average of just 43%.

College president Dr. Said Sewell credits the uptick to efforts made by the administration.

“I think all of those initiatives lend itself to the students coming back because they felt a connection with this administration that they had nev

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