Welcome to Minnesota!

St. Cloud lies about 75 miles (125 km.) northwest of Minneapolis and St. Paul also called the "Twin Cities". The Twin Cities are the cultural hub of Minnesota - home to several first-class art museums and two world class orchestras. Sports are also popular in Minnesota. The Twin Cities host professional baseball, football, ice hockey and basketball teams. Your first exposure to the Twin Cities will probably be arriving at the MSP International Airport. After getting settled in St. Cloud, make sure you take time to explore the Twin Cities, along with the other wonders of our state!

St. Cloud Community

St. Cloud lies along the Mississippi River -one of the major rivers in the United States. The Mississippi River begins in northern Minnesota at Lake Itasca and flows 1500 miles (2500 km.) south into the Gulf of Mexico. The river also longitudinally bisects the United States.

St. Cloud was settled originally by those of German, Polish and English descent. Since then, many other ethnic groups, particularly from the Scandinavian countries, have come here to live. After the Vietnam War St. Cloud welcomed a number of Vietnam and Laotian refugee families into the area, so this culture has become an important part of our community.

St. Cloud serves as the commercial and business hub for over 160,000 people in three counties: Stearns, Sherburne and Benton. St. Cloud is the political, cultural, commercial and manufacturing center for all of central Minnesota. The rural area surrounding St. Cloud is comprised of primarily small to very large crop and dairy farms.

The religious orientation of central Minnesota is predominantly Christian - both Roman Catholic and many Protestant denominations. As our population continues to diversify, there are more non-Christian religions represented in the community.

Minnesotans are generally outdoors-loving people. Sports are popular throughout the year, with water sports emphasized in the summer (the area has many lakes and rivers) and skiing, ice-skating and snowmobiling in the winter.

St. Cloud State University (SCSU) Community

The university first started as a teacher-training institute in 1869, with a student body of 53, a faculty of five, and one building. It has grown to a university of established reputation, with approximately 15,000 students, 700 faculty and 31 buildings. The international student population continues to grow each year.  We have over 800 international students attending classes.

SCSU is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, with regular review and updating of its academic programs. There are five colleges in the university: College of Business, College of Education, College of Fine Arts and Humanities, College of Science and Engineering (including the departments of electrical engineering and computer science) and the College of Social Sciences. The Graduate School is combined with the Center for Continuing Studies.

St. Cloud Climate

Minnesota is known for having four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.

Spring (March - May) - temperatures range from 15° C to 32°C depending on the month and the average temperatures of the year. Spring tends to be rainy and damp, but when the flowers start to bloom there is not a more beautiful time of year in the state! March snow is very common and usually the storms produce large amounts of snow.

Summer (June - August) - temperatures range from 21°C to 38 °C with nights cooling down to 15 °C. Extreme heat (38 °C ) is not common in St. Cloud, but can occur a days a year. Minnesota in general is very humid in the summer. The humidity makes the air temperature feel even warmer than it truly is. Rain is common in the summer, but we do not have excessively large amounts of rain.

Fall (September - early November) - temperatures are very similar to those in spring (15° C to 32°C). For many residents, fall is a favorite time of year because trees begin turning their leaves from green to gold, red, orange and brown.

Winter (late November - March) - temperatures vary from 0 °C to -34 °C. Snow depths vary year-to-year but there is usually enough snow for skiing and snowmobile enthusiasts. If you are from a warm climate, wait to purchase your warm clothes until you arrive in Minnesota. Clothing purchased in Minnesota will be better suited for this extreme climate.

Check out Today's Weather.

Clothing for Each Season

Fall - when you arrive in August, the weather can be hot or cool. Wear lightweight clothes but have a sweater or raincoat handy. Remember that the temperature drops in the evenings, so have an extra layer of clothing to put on the in the evening.

Winter - wear layers of clothing: turtleneck shirt, sweater(s) and a windbreaker or raincoat outer layer. Purchase a warm jacket as soon as you arrive. Warm hats, mittens, warm socks and boots are necessities.

Spring - clothing is very similar to fall clothing. It is always good to have a hat and mittens in the spring because the weather can change very quickly.

Summer - wear light weight clothing. The humidity in the summer makes the temperature feel warmer than it actually is. Cotton material is breathable and will help you stay cooler in the summer.

In the United States, students dress extremely casually for classes. It is not unusual to find every kind of apparel imaginable. Men wear pants or jeans and shirts or sweaters They also wear shorts or cut-off jeans in warm weather. The majority of women on campus wear pants or jeans and blouses or sweaters. Almost anything is acceptable.