public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Ypsilanti, Mich., U.S. It consists of the colleges of arts and sciences, business, education, health and human services, and technology. In addition to undergraduate programs, the university offers graduate certificates and master's degree programs in many areas and several doctoral programs. Campus facilities include various research institutes and centres, including the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Institute for Geospatial Research and Education, and the Coatings Research Institute, a part of the college of technology.

The university was founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, the first institution in Michigan established specifically to train teachers for the public schools. The name was changed, and it was elevated to university status in 1959. Since that time the university has grown dramatically, adding colleges of business (1964), health and human services (1975), and technology (1980).