coeducational institution of higher learning in St. Cloud (Saint Cloud), central Minnesota, U.S. It is part of the Minnesota State University system. St. Cloud State University opened in 1869 as Third State Normal School; initially, most of the students were women. In 1898 it began offering a junior-college curriculum, and by 1914 it had discontinued secondary education. All the normal (teacher-training) schools in the state university system became teachers colleges in 1921, when they were granted the right to award four-year degrees. In 1957 they were designated state colleges, having received the right to grant master's degrees in 1953. In 1975 the schools in the system all gained university status. Full-time enrollment is roughly 12,000.

St. Cloud State comprises colleges of business, education, fine arts and humanities, science and engineering, and social sciences. It awards associate, bachelor's, specialist, and master's degrees in more than 85 programs; it also offers preprofessional programs. The Central Minnesota Historical Center and the Minnesota Economic Development Center are based at the university.