By: Eliana Morales
Southern Adventist University’s enrollment this fall semester is at a record high, with undergraduate enrollment hitting 2,992 students, according to official data. While freshman enrollment has not broken any records, it is the fourth-largest incoming class, with 642 students. When combining both undergraduate and graduate students, total enrollment for the Fall 2025 semester stands at 3,346, surpassing the previous record of 3,301 students in Fall 2012.
These totals represent Southern’s raw headcount, meaning that they include anyone registered in at least one course, according to Ryan Harrell, Southern’s website and analytics manager.
Graduate enrollment, which declined after the COVID-19 pandemic, has started to rebound. This fall, the university enrolled 50 more graduate students than last year, marking the strongest graduate numbers since 2019, according to enrollment data.
“There’s been a much bigger focus on recruiting graduate students this year than in the past, which is hopefully playing a role,” Harrell said. However, it is too early to tell from the data how influential the effort will be.
Although graduate enrollment remains below the record Fall 2015 levels, this year’s undergraduate numbers were strong enough to push the university to a new overall record.
Growth factors
The School of Engineering and Physics’ introduction of the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) program created growth for Southern, according to Harrell. Before the BSE program existed, engineering students could only complete a two-year degree.
“Engineering has been a critical part of our growth because anytime you add a new program, you’re bringing in students that weren’t there before,” Harrell said. “You’re adding a completely new pool that has never been accessed before.”
Cindy Vargas, a freshman engineering major with a concentration in mechanical engineering, is one of the students who may not have attended Southern if there was no four-year engineering program. She explained why she chose to study engineering.
“It was just one of the things that seemed to fit me,” she said. “I also took a test that would reveal which careers suit you best, and engineering was in my top ten.”
Sean Walters, associate professor at the School of Engineering and Physics, discussed how the expanded program impacted enrollment.
“As a result of launching the four-year BSE degree in Fall 2023, engineering enrollment has increased by approximately 90 students above the historical enrollment numbers of the two-year AS in Engineering Studies degree,” Walters stated. “This increase in engineering students on campus represents over 20% of the total university undergraduate growth since Fall 2022. With the continued strong interest in engineering at Southern that we’re seeing, I believe the program will support further undergraduate enrollment growth on campus in the future.”
Blake Laing, professor at the School of Engineering and Physics, commented on the impact of higher enrollment.
“With increasing enrollment comes more energy, more student club activities and more supportive friendships,” he said.
Similar to how the BSE program boosted enrollment for the School of Engineering and Physics, Harrell predicts the opening of the Ruth McKee School of Business building will foster growth for the School of Business.
Ben Schnell, assistant professor at the School of Business, shared his perspective on the building in an email to the Accent.
“I think the new business building demonstrates donor and administration dedication to providing a top-notch education for our students,” he stated, “and whether or not there is a measurable growth in enrollment from the building specifically, I do think the space contributes significantly to the opportunities on campus, and for that I am grateful.”
Harrell also emphasized the impact of events such as View Southern and Preview Southern on enrollment.
“The data shows that if we can get students here on campus, the chances of them enrolling are dramatically higher,” Harrell said. “So, one of our major pushes in enrollment is to get people here to experience Southern because if you experience Southern, you know why Southern is different.”
Harrell’s statement was true of Abby Zinke, a freshman business administration major who chose Southern because she loved the campus when she visited.
View Southern and Preview Southern allow prospective students to tour the campus, meet professors, see the dorms, attend worship and explore downtown.
“View Southern and Preview Southern events are cornerstone experiences in our enrollment process,” said Marco Swaisgood, campus experience manager. “Additionally, these gatherings foster meaningful connections among students from various academies and regions—relationships that often continue once they enroll at Southern.”
Freshman voices
Nathan Profir is a freshman strategic communications major from Colorado. Like many, he has a sibling attending Southern who was influential in his decision to enroll. Aside from his sister, Profir was drawn to Southern because he likes the Collegedale area and the university’s proximity to bigger cities such as Nashville.
“The campus is really nice,” he added.
Alier Vega-Morales, a freshman computer science major from Texas, also had a family member who attended Southern.
“The first time I heard about Southern was through my cousin,” he said. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
Data shows that the number of students from the West Coast has been growing steadily.
“It’s flatlined a little bit since Fall 2023, but we saw a pretty big growth in that post-COVID era,” Harrell said.
Malcolm Maynes is a freshman from central California. He is studying strategic communications with an emphasis on public relations and graphic design.
“I chose Southern because I believe they have the best department and program for my major, which is kinda specific,” he said.
Zinke is from Southern California and was drawn to the university’s surrounding area.
“I really liked how, unlike some of the other Adventist universities, there’s a good variety of things close to campus, such as Hamilton Place Mall, Blue Hole, downtown Chattanooga, Cambridge Square and a variety of parks,” she said. “I also liked how, even though they’re further away, Nashville and Atlanta are a drivable distance from campus.”
Although enrollment from the West Coast has been growing, data shows that most students come from the East Coast.
Among them is Tamar Hamilton, a freshman business-strategic communications major from Maryland. She attended Shenandoah Valley Academy in Virginia, where she first heard about Southern.
“I chose Southern because of its size, atmosphere and the departments, which I felt were current and keeping up with where the world is going,” she said. “The [School of Journalism and Communication] has really made an effort to make me feel welcome and a part of something, and I appreciate that.”
Gabrielle Savoy, freshman business-strategic communications major, is also from the East Coast. She is from Virginia and grew up hearing about Southern from her family, school and church.
“I’d been planning on coming here for most of high school,” she said. “I knew I wanted to go to an Adventist school where it was warm, and I felt like God was leading me toward Southern.”
Many freshmen described their first semester at Southern as an enjoyable experience, “pretty great” and even “better than imagined.”
What was surprising about Southern?
“The number of stairs I have to walk on a daily basis. There are too many.” – Maynes
“How kind everyone is here. Not so pleasantly surprised by how humid it is.” – Zinke
“The transition from a high school workload to a college workload.” – Vargas
“How many events and clubs there are.” -Profir
“How quickly I got used to being surrounded by a lot of people I don’t know.” – Savoy
