History
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) opened its doors to students in 1869, under the name Third State Normal School. The school consisted of one building, the Stearns House, a renovated hotel purchased by the state Legislature for $3,000. Classrooms were on the first floor, the "model school" was on second floor and a women's dormitory was housed on the third floor.
The five-member faculty was headed by Principal Ira Moore. Of the 53 original students, 43 were women. From this modest beginning, St. Cloud State has evolved into a university with a national reputation for excellence, a faculty of more than 700 and a student body of more than 15,500 full- and part-time students. SCSU is now the largest of the 33 institutions of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
In 1898, the school began offering a junior college curriculum. In 1914 the school dropped its secondary education program entirely. The legislature authorized a name change in 1921, allowing the school to adopt the name St. Cloud State Teachers College (the word "teachers" was deleted in 1957). In 1975, St. Cloud State became a university, comprised of five colleges and a graduate school.
The first bachelor's degrees were awarded in 1925, with master's degree programs offered beginning in 1953. SCSU now confers degrees from its colleges of Business, Education, Fine Arts and Humanities, Science and Engineering, Social Sciences, and the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies.
Building on its rich history as a teacher preparatory college, SCSU has built strong academic programs in other areas. The G.R. Herberger College of Business, for example, is recognized as one of the top business colleges in the country and is one of only four in the state that is nationally accredited. Within the past decade the College of Science and Engineering established and gained full accreditation for its electrical engineering program.
The university also has international studies centers in Australia, Chili, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, England, France and Germany. Students and faculty from St. Cloud State study at these centers and international exchanges are fostered. Currently, more than 1,000 students from 80 countries study at SCSU.
The university serves regional businesses and industries through its applied research centers. Priority areas of research at St. Cloud are computer control of manufacturing technologies, material analysis, biotechnology, microelectronics, and software development and design. University life includes thriving and enriching recreation programs, arts and performance areas, athletic teams, lectures and student organizations.
Today, SCSU is a multipurpose university with more than 80,000 alumni. Recognized as a national leader in education, St. Cloud State University is educating citizens for the entire world.
