Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. When Camryn Johnson first heard Mississippi College would become Mississippi Christian University, she wasn’t sure how the name sounded. Now, she thinks it could help introduce the state’s oldest higher educati on institution to a new group of students who have never heard of it. “The only thing was it didn’t roll off the tongue as quickly as I’d like it,” said Johnson, a 2022 alumna. “But, I think still calling it ‘MC’ works.” The university’s name change and rebranding coincides with the Baptist institution’s celebration of its bicentennial. For alumni such as Johnson, it’s more than changing placards, signs and banners on the private campus in Clinton. It represents their alma mater’s commitment to preserving the school’s heritage, establishing its academic legacy and strengthening students’ connection to their faith.  MC officials say the change reflects the school’s Christian identity and repositions the institution’s future. Across the country, small private colleges are rethinking everything – from athletics to branding – to survive declining enrollment and rising financial pressures. A new report from the Huron Consulting Group, a research firm based in Chicago, estimates that 442 of the nation’s 1,700 private, nonprofit four-year colleges are at risk of closing or having to merge in the next decade. The firm analyzed federal enrollment data, tuition revenue, assets, debt, cash on hand and other measures for the report.  In November 2024, the Mississippi College board of trustees voted to change the name to Mississippi Christian University. The university also dissolved its intercollegiate football program. In another press statement that same year, the school said “it wasn’t immune to the challenges” small higher education institutions faced, but was working to make changes to push the university forward to the next 200 years.  A wall at the intersection of West College and Madison streets shows Mississippi College is now Mississippi Christian University, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Clinton. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayA wall at the intersection of Clinton Parkway and U.S. 80 West shows Mississippi College is now Mississippi Christian University. A banner celebrates the institution’s 200th anniversary, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Clinton. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayA banner celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mississippi College, now Mississippi Christian University, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Clinton. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayA banner at the former Mississippi College shows the institution’s new name, Mississippi Christian University, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Clinton. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayA banner celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mississippi College, now Mississippi Christian University, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Clinton. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today MC officials said replacing signs on campus will continue throughout the summer. The university currently has a marquee sign at the U.S. Highway 80 and Springridge Road intersection. A banner also stands at the main entrance, “The Gates” on College Street.  “The shift to Mississippi Christian University represents a strategic decision that reinforces our institutional vision – to be known as a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ,” said Jenny Tate, vice president of marketing and communications, in a statement to Mississippi Today. “This change was the result of a multi-year process that included university leadership, faculty, staff, alumni and external stakeholders.”  The change also allows the institution to keep its “MC” logo and branding, Tate said.  MC President Blake Thompson said the name change will not impact the institution’s accreditation or academic programs. The Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson also will adopt the new name, but will remain known as the MC School of Law or MC Law, according to the June 1 press statement.  For Pernell Goodwin, a 2016 MC graduate, removing the “college” from the name and replacing it with “university” can offer more prestige to the institution.  Rather than MC being seen as a “college,” which is often associated with two-year or undergraduate degrees, the university can compete against four-year institutions and attract a more competitive pool of students, he said.  “The change could boost enrollment which in turn can improve the institution’s financial stability,” said Goodwin, who is also vice president of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez campus.  State Sen. Kamesha Mumford, a Democrat from Jackson, was drawn to MC Law School because of her faith. The university’s rebranding just further ensures it will remain a safe place and community for Christian students, she said. “I just think that the way things are going right now in this world, we ought to lean more on our faith,” Mumford said. “This change may help draw in students, people and communities to share and celebrate those values and beliefs.”  Founded in 1826 as Hampstead Academy, Mississippi Christian University is the state’s oldest higher education institution and second oldest Baptist college in the nation. MC currently serves roughly 4,250 students. In 2024-25, the university had 340 faculty members, according to the university’s website.  Johnson, who returned to MC in 2024 for her master’s degree in education, said she is feeling more excited about the change. It will be fun to have two diplomas with different names from the same university.  “I’m excited to see (the name change) on my diploma when I graduate again because it looks like I graduated from two different colleges,” Johnson said. “This change gives students like me and the school a new presence in our state and community.” ...read more read less