St. Cloud State University
A tradition of excellence and opportunity. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis, St. Cloud State University truly is a campus for a new century. With a 136-year tradition of excellence and opportunity, SCSU is an affordable university where students benefit from nationally accredited, top-rated academic programs and cutting-edge technology.
While it started as a state normal school and remains one of the top 12 producers of teachers in the nation, nationally recognized programs such as Business, Mass Communications and Applied Psychology provide career preparation for many of today's SCSU graduates. With about 16,000 students from Minnesota, nearly all 50 states and 80 foreign countries, SCSU is the second largest and most highly accredited undergraduate university in Minnesota. The university offers 175 majors, minors and pre-professional programs, and is one of the few universities in the Upper Midwest with programs in such diverse fields as Aviation, Meteorology and Geographic Information Systems.
SCSU is committed to being at the forefront in academic excellence and technology. To that end, SCSU has launched dynamic initiatives that include a $32.5 million, state-of-the-art library, a campus physical master plan, a strategic plan of clear goals and objectives, and the university's first-ever capital campaign. The 235,000-square-foot library, which opened in the fall of 2000, is the visual centerpiece of the campus and the hub of research and learning. The physical master plan is turning the campus into a more inviting environment, with the addition of a riverwalk along the Mississippi and trees and clearly marked entryways along the campus perimeter. The strategic plan is providing the blueprint and the capital campaign the support to make SCSU one of the top 10 universities in the nation while remaining a school where students receive the same personal attention they would at a small college.
A rich community resource with about 16,000 students and more than 1,300 employees, SCSU brings significant benefits to its home community. St. Cloud residents, as well as students, benefit from a wide array of opportunities for educational and cultural enrichment, as well as athletic and entertainment events. According to a recent economic impact survey conducted by the SCSU Department of Economics, the university has a $600 million annual impact on local retail business. Some other facts about St. Cloud's fourth largest employer and Minnesota's largest and finest undergraduate university include:
- SCSU is accredited by the North Central Accrediting Agency, and nearly every one of its services and programs – including Business, Mass Communications, Theater, Computer Science, Education, Aviation, and Electrical Engineering – has been recognized by national accrediting agencies in their fields.
- While 90 percent of SCSU students are from Minnesota, the campus also is home to more than 900 international students and students from all 50 states.
- SCSU has 175 undergraduate and graduate majors, minors and programs of study geared toward career and life preparation.
- SCSU students may choose to join any of more than 240 organizations, many of which stress campus and community volunteer activities.
- SCSU offers opportunities for overseas study in over 16 countries and a variety of practical internships.
- Eighty percent of SCSU graduates live in Minnesota. More than 3,000 new alumni are added each year.