• Universities

Saint Cloud State University was founded in 1869 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The original school, called the Third State Normal School operated out of a renovated hotel building with dorms on the top floor and five faculty members. The school began offering junior college courses in 1898. In 1921 the school was renamed St. Cloud State Teachers College and the institution began awarding bachelor’s degrees in 1925 with a master’s program following in 1953. Since then the university has continued to grow, adding new buildings to the campus and widening its curriculum. In 1975 St. Cloud State College underwent a reorganisation of its academic departments and was renamed St. Cloud State University. St. Cloud has continued to thrive and today it is one of the largest higher education institutions in the state with a student body of over 15,000. Students at the university study a range of academic courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and masters level, the university also offers two doctorate programs. Students can pick from over 200 majors, minors and pre-professional courses divided between the university’s eight colleges and schools. These are: the College of Liberal Arts, School of the Arts, Herberger Business School, School of Public Affairs, College of Science and Engineering, School of Computing, Engineering & Environment, School of Education and the School of Health and Human Services.The university campus covers 100 acres of oak forest and green landscapes lawns along the west bank of the Mississippi River. There are eight residential halls on campus as well as the academic and administrative buildings that make up the heart of the university.