State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Emporia State is one of six public universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
The university offers degrees through seven schools, one college, and one institute: the School of Business and Technology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Library and Information Management, School of Science and Mathematics, School of Visual and Performing Arts, School of Applied Health Sciences, The Teachers College, and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies. Prior to the 2023–24 school year, Emporia State only had two schools and colleges.
== History ==
=== Early history ===
The origins of the university date back to 1861, when Kansas became a state. The Kansas Constitution provided for a state university, and from 1861 to 1863 the question of where the university would be located—Lawrence, …
