Go further than you thought possible at Minnesota State University. The University is located in Mankato, which has actually been designated the fourteenth most livable ‘micropolitan’ city in the country. Mankato is located in the Southern part of Minnesota, about 85 miles Southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The city is a great place to live, and the area has historically been a large population center for indigenous peoples, and there is lots of culture to be had for old and young alike.
The Campus
The campus itself, home of the Mavericks, is extremely attractive and well laid out. At its beginning, there were only 27 students, but today it boasts a student population of 14,500 students, with 600 of them hailing from over 72 international countries.
Academics
There are over 150 undergrad programs of study for all Minnesota students, which encompass 16 pre-professional programs, 7 certificate, one associate program and 127 Bachelor’s Degree programs. The University of Minnesota in Mankato offers more than 100 graduate degree programs such as master’s, specialist, certificate, and doctoral programs.
There are six academic colleges at the University of Minnesota: Allied Health and Nursing; Arts and Humanities; Business; Education; Science, Engineering and Technology; and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Many of the programs or parts of them are also offered through different College of Extended Learning locations.
Tuition
The annual tuition for an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota in Mankato is $6,429 for students that are in state. They offer $113.5 million in different scholarships, grants, and work-study programs.
Notable Alumni
There are several notable alumni of the University. Ryan Carter is one. He is currently an NHL forward for the Calgary Flames. Allan Lenzmeier is another – he is the President and CEO of Best Buy stores. There is also Brad Nessler, a sports commentator at ESPN. Michael Martin, a former alum, is the Chancellor of Louisiana State University. There is even an actor – Cedric Yarborough, who appears on the hilarious show Reno 911!
Athletics
The university mascot is the Mavericks. The athletic program is massive, and over 600 students participate in the athletic program annually. Incidentally, the gorgeous University of Minnesota field hosts the summer training camp for the Minnesota Viking National Football League team, and has done so for the past 40 years.
Minnesota offers teams in men’s and women’s hockey and basketball, volleyball, baseball, football golf, swimming, cross country, tennis track, wrestling, soccer, golf, and softball. There is something for everyone in the sports department at the university. In 2009 the spectacular women’s basketball team won a national championship. There are not that many universities that actually offer women’s hockey, but the University of Minnesota does.
Philosophy, Values and Goals
The philosophy of the university tends to focus on big ideas combined with real-world thinking. They are also developing a very strong reputation in the field of research. They believe in promoting learning through effective graduate and undergraduate teaching, scholarship, and research in service to the state.
Their core values are integrity, diversity, access to programs, responsibility and excellence in both academic and non-academic pursuits. The aim is to help the student become well rounded, and to help them strive for excellence in all that they do, both at the university and after they graduate from the University of Minnesota.
One of their goals is to prepare students for life-long learning through their graduate and undergraduate professional and pre-professional programs. Truly there is something there for everyone, and the education will serve a student for years to come.
