coeducational institution of higher learning, located in the Hiawatha Valley of the Mississippi River in Winona, southeastern Minnesota, U.S. It is the oldest school in the Minnesota State University system. Founded in 1858 as a normal (teacher-training) school, it was the first American institution of its kind west of the Mississippi River. Instruction began in 1860. All the normal 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 all gained university status. Winona State has a full-time enrollment of about 7,000 students.

The university awards associate and bachelor's degrees in some 60 programs and also offers master's, specialist, and preprofessional programs. It is made up of colleges of business, education, liberal arts, nursing and health sciences, and science and engineering. The university operates University Center Rochester, located in the city of Rochester, in partnership with the University of Minnesota (Minnesota, University of) and Rochester Community and Technical College.