Delaware State University has a new reason to buzz: More Hornets are in the school’s nest.

Officials at the HBCU announced that the Dover, Del.-based institution set an enrollment record, WHYY reports.

According to university president Dr.Tony Allen, the school saw an increase of 3.5 percent with 6,451 students enrolled for the fall semester. Since 2020, Delaware State has seen a 23 percent increase, while enrollment has been down for over a decade at colleges across the country. The school has a goal of having 10,000 enrolled undergraduates by 2030.

“We have overcome some notable trends in higher education,’’ Allen said. “It’s been a journey and we’ve been fortunate. That’s why I’m cautiously optimistic about it.”

Allen envisions Delaware State as the top choice of “in-state high school graduates” as the university continues to diversify its student body.

Several factors have contributed to the Delaware State’s success including the Inspire Scholarship, which offers four years of free tuition to all Delaware high school graduates who have a 2.75 grade point average and is sponsored by the state. Currently, 79 percent of DSU’s 750 first-year in-state students have Inspire scholarships.

Early College School is a dual enrollment program where Delaware middle and high school students can earn up to 60 credits from the university.  Around 600 students are enrolled in the program and “about 60 percent of them are coming to Delaware State,” Allen said.

Transfer students and online enrollment have impacted the rise in enrollment, with almost 40 percent of them living in the Caribbean. With the purchase of Wesley College in 2021, Delaware State became the first HBCU to acquire another institution adding several hundred students.

Retention has been a driving force for Allen since his arrival as president in 2017.  6 in 10 freshmen returned for their sophomore year when he first began but now the number has jumped to a “steady 75 percent and we’re looking to get to 80.”

Allen said that the recent success of Delaware State can be attributed to the efforts of the students, staff, administration, and he’s excited about what the future holds for the school.

“So I’m feeling good about our prospects, but it is block and tackle every day and making sure that we understand the pulse of the workplace that they’ll be entering and the students that we’re serving,” Allen said.