Pine Belt Times

White students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Forrest County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 13,616 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 60.3% were white. This is a decrease of 3.5% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

Black or African American students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Hispanic students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the four universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 3.6%. University of Southern Mississippi reported the largest student body, with 10,258 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
White	60.3%
Black or African American	27.8%
Hispanic	4%
Multiracial	3.3%
U.S. nonresident	2.2%
Asian	2%
Unknown	0.5%