the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it enrolled 8,430 undergraduate and 2,084 graduate students.
== History ==
St. Cloud State was founded in 1869 as the Third State Normal School. At the time, the school consisted of just one building, the Stearns House, a former renovated hotel purchased by the state Legislature for $3,000. The faculty included five members, led by Principal Ira Moore. Of the first 50 students, 40 were women. As more women enrolled and the Old Main building opened in early 1874, the Stearns House was fully converted into a women’s dormitory later that year. Male students later formed a boarding club and found a house near campus, which was supervised by a matron.
In 1898, the school offered a junior college curriculum. In 1914, the school dropped its secondary education program. The Legislature authorized a name change in 1921 to St. Cloud State Teachers College. In 1957, the word "Teachers" was dropped. …
