Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State University, Mankato, also known as Minnesota State, is a public comprehensive university located in Mankato, Minnesota. The university sits atop the bluff of the Blue Earth River valley, approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Established in law as the Second State Normal School in 1858, it was designated in Mankato in 1866, and officially opened as Mankato Normal School in 1868. It is the second oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. It is also the second largest public university in the state, and has over 119,000 alumni worldwide. It is the most comprehensive of the seven universities and is referred to as the flagship of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. It is an important part of the economy of South-Central Minnesota as it adds more than $452 million to the economy of Minnesota annually.