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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

About SCSU

SCSU Factbook

SCSU at a Glance

St. Cloud State University is Minnesota's second-largest university, with 16,800 students from 80 nations. It is located about an hour northwest of Minneapolis along the oak-crowned west bank of the Mississippi River. The 100-acre campus is between downtown St. Cloud and the Beaver Islands, a group of more than 30 islands that form a natural maze for a two-mile stretch of the river.   

St. Cloud State’s undergraduate programs hold every national accreditation available. Students choose from 175 majors, minors and pre-professional programs, including regional rarities such as aviation, meteorology and geographic information systems.

The School of Graduate Studies offers more than 60 programs, including an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration and a master of business administration from the acclaimed G.R. Herberger College of Business. The new master's degree in regulatory affairs and services taps a growing demand for professionals who can lead medical device companies through Food and Drug Administration and international regulatory processes. Minnesota is home to more than 570 medical device manufacturers and distributors.

Founded in 1869 as a state normal school, St. Cloud State has evolved into a comprehensive university with all the institutions that make college life exciting: events and activities, art galleries, year-round theatre, nearly 250 clubs and organizations, NCAA athletics, club sports, intramurals, indoor recreation opportunities and outdoor pursuits. The campus nerve center is our state-of-the-art library. 

St. Cloud State by the Numbers

  • Fall 2007 enrollment was 16,882, including 1,741 graduate students.
  • The Bridges is a scenic 2.72-mile exercise route.
  • About 200 courses offered online each semester.
  • More than 3,180 degrees were conferred during 2007-08.
  • Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education has 300 survivor videos.
  • Students learn from more than 860 faculty in 47 academic departments.
  • Earl H. Potter III is the school’s 22nd president.
  • The University’s first building was purchased in 1869 for $3,000.
  • National Hockey Center's Section 108 hosts college hockey's fiercest fans.
  • Noted economists have spoken at the Winter Institute annually for 45 years.  

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