A Year of Momentum

Mobile-based Bishop State Community College saw record-breaking enrollment, new programs and more in impactful 2025.

by Lindsay Mott Fletcher

Bishop State Community College enjoyed a big year in 2025. From record enrollment to partnerships and signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) to brand-new athletic programs, the state- supported, open-admission, urban community college providing more than 40 one- and two-year certificate and degree programs across four campuses is offering more to the local community than ever before.

“I truly believe this year’s success comes down to our people and our purpose,” said Bishop State Community College President Olivier Charles. “We’ve got an incredible team here at Bishop State who show up every day focused on doing what’s best for our students. When you combine that with a clear direction and strong support from our community and partners, good things happen.”

Enrollment

Fall 2025 saw record-breaking enrollment, as 4,405 students enrolled — the highest in two decades. This represented a 12.6% increase over 2024’s enrollment of 4,001 students and continues the college’s track of three consecutive years of double-digit growth that began in fall 2022. As of October 1, 2025, Bishop State had added more than 2,000 students since Fall 2021, representing an 81.7% enrollment increase over the last four years. The college also enrolled 910 first-time freshmen, its strongest incoming class since Fall 2013. Continuing student enrollment stands at 1,066, the second-highest total since Fall 2020.

Beyond this, Bishop State’s Dual Enrollment Program has more than tripled, up more than 200% since fall 2021, with 1,741 high school students taking college courses in fall 2025. While fall 2025 information was not yet available at press time, fall 2024 retention improved significantly from 54.65% to 59.73%, demonstrating the impact of Bishop State’s student success initiatives. Workforce development programs also experienced growth, with enrollment increasing 7.5%, from 2,371 students in AY 2023-24 to 2,549 in AY 2024-25.

“We made some big strides this year, from reaching a record enrollment, earning our Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges reaffirmation to seeing the impact of our college reach $263.8 million in economic value to the state,” Charles said. “Those aren’t small things. They tell me that the work we’re doing is resonating with students, families, employers and the broader Mobile community. It’s been a team effort all the way around.”

New Programs

Bishop State welcomed its first cohort for the STEM Pathway in fall 2025 — a select group of 15 motivated students ready to pursue academic transfer to four-year institutions in pre-engineering, pre-medicine or pre-pharmacy. The program is designed for first-time, first-semester freshmen, helping students map their progress easily and build a strong academic foundation. The pathway can also be entered through dual enrollment and career and technical education students.

Partnerships and MOUs

In April, Bishop State partnered with the University of Mobile to create a new pathway for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in child and social development. Through this articulation agreement, Bishop State students who complete the required courses will have a seamless transition into the University of Mobile’s Bachelor of Science in child and social development program. The agreement ensures that up to 62 credit hours can be transferred toward the 124-credit-hour degree, helping students save time and money as they advance their education.

Additionally, in February 2025, Bishop State signed an MOU with Tuskegee University, which provides a seamless pathway for Bishop State students to transfer associate degree credits toward a bachelor’s degree at Tuskegee, ensuring a smooth transition for those pursuing advanced degrees. This collaboration will provide students with greater access to academic resources, scholarships and mentorship opportunities. Under the agreement, Bishop State students who earn an Associate of Art or Associate of Science degree may be eligible for admission to Tuskegee University with up to a maximum of 64 semester hours transferring. In the MOU, Tuskegee University agrees to award three transfer scholarships for eligible students every fall.

Renovated Carver Instructional Site

Bishop State celebrated the grand opening of the newly renovated Carver Instructional Site in February. The total cost of the Carver campus renovation was estimated at $10.6 million. The project went to bid in September 2022, with construction starting in October 2022. The interior renovations were completed by April 2024. Renovations to the exterior began soon after and were completed in January 2025. The transformation of the Carver Instructional Site ensures that students will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and enhanced learning environments.

“This campus has been a beacon of this community for well over 50 years so the opportunity to restore it and put the right programs in place, not just for this community but for all of Mobile, is something that makes us proud as a college,” Charles said.

The updated Carver site is home to several academic programs, including welding, culinary arts, barbering and hairstyling and adult education, each featuring cutting-edge facilities designed to foster innovation and excellence. The welding department now has 80 welding booths, with plans to install 25 more, bringing the total to more than 100 booths for student training. The Culinary Arts wing was gutted and completely renovated to include a baking lab, an a la carte kitchen and a teaching kitchen, providing students with hands-on experience in a professional setting. The Adult Education department also received a fully renovated wing that includes classrooms, computer labs and office spaces.

Economic Impact

Students and alumni of Bishop State contributed $263.8 million to the state’s economy, an amount equal to about 1.0% of the region’s total gross regional product, according to an independent report, Bishop State reported in February 2025. The report produced by Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics, also states Bishop State supports 3,585 jobs in Alabama. For perspective, the activities of Bishop State and its students support one out of every 75 jobs in the Bishop State service area.

While Bishop State plays a role in attracting and retaining talent, its greatest impact comes from its graduates. In FY 2023-24, Bishop State alumni generated $203.5 million in added income, supporting the equivalent of 2,653 jobs in Alabama.

Over the years, Bishop State has become a vital training entity in the region. Its graduates and students have gained valuable skills and knowledge, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to Alabama’s workforce.

The report shows that for every dollar students invest in a two-year education Bishop State, they can expect to gain $5.90 in lifetime earnings. Bishop State generates more tax dollars than it takes. State taxpayers will see $2.10 in added tax revenue and public sector savings for every dollar invested into the system. Society will also benefit $5.80 in added income and social savings for every dollar.

Additional report highlights: The expenditures of relocated and retained students in FY 2023-24 added $7.4 million in income to the region’s economy.
♦ The average associate degree graduate from Bishop State in FY 2023-24 will see annual earnings $9,000 higher than a person with a high school diploma or equivalent working in Alabama.
♦ Bishop State’s alumni impact provides the region an economic boost similar to hosting the World Series 31 times.

Students and alumni of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) contributed $8.1 billion to the state’s economy, an amount equal to about 3% of Alabama’s total gross state product. Lightcast analyzed data using FY 2023-24 academic and financial reports from Alabama’s community and technical colleges, the Alabama Technology Network, as well as industry and employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Athletics

In 2025, Bishop State also announced the expansion of its athletics department with the return of its cheerleading program and the introduction of women’s flag football.

The cheerleading program, which was last held during the 2017-2018 season, officially returned under Tabitha Dallas, a former cheerleader at Bishop State and Alabama State University. The co-ed team offers athletic scholarships to students, and Dallas brings both a personal connection to Bishop State and extensive experience as a next-level cheerleader and coach.

Additionally, Bishop State introduced women’s flag football, one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, as part of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Alabama
Community College Conference (ACCC), and Frank Goode was named as the head flag football coach. The program has 15 athletic scholarships available.

Athletic Director and Men’s Head Football Coach 2025 Trent Eager said:

“2025 was the perfect time to add cheerleading and women’s flag football to our athletic sports. Cheerleading has always played a key role in building school pride and the exciting campus culture that students and the community are looking for. Women’s flag football made sense to respond to the demand and give our student-athletes more pathways to compete, lead and represent Bishop State.

“These two programs reflect where our students are today. Cheerleading brings energy and inclusiveness to our athletic events. It also opens opportunities for students who want to be involved in athletics in ways other than traditional competitive sports. Women’s flag football supports the nationwide push to create more competitive opportunities for women in sports. Both programs allow us to grow in ways that support equity, student engagement and long-term program development.”

Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Forward

In contemplating the past year and looking to 2026, Charles said:

“When I look back on 2025, the word that comes to mind is ‘momentum.’ We’ve had a year where everything seemed to move forward at once. We welcomed more students than ever. We secured our reaffirmation, which speaks volumes about the quality and stability of our institution. We continued to make significant investments in our facilities by renovating the Carver and Southwest sites and kicking off renovations to our Student Life Center. To me, all of this says we’re not standing still. We’re growing, improving and positioning Bishop State to serve our community for decades to come. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished.

“Next year is really about building on the progress we’ve made. We’re going to keep improving our facilities, strengthening our programs and making sure students feel supported from the day they walk in until the day they graduate. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with local industries and expand academic and workforce opportunities.

“There aren’t any new announcements to share just yet, but there is plenty of good positive news in the works. From new programs to new partnerships, we’ll continue to explore opportunities that make sense for our students and Mobile. If 2025 was a year of big steps forward, 2026 will be about taking those steps even deeper and making sure the growth we’ve seen expands and takes root.”