Southwest Minnesota State University
Location and Contact Information
1501 State StMarshall, MN 56258-5468
USA
Main Tel: (507) 537-7678
Web Site
The campus is in a rural site not far from an urban area.
Overview
Southwest Minnesota State University was founded as the Southwest Minnesota State College in 1963. It began admitting students in 1967. In 1975, it became the Southwest State University. In 2003 it adopted its present name.
Southwest Minnesota State University has been divided into the following two major colleges:
- College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies
- College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences
The University offers many undergraduate courses in professional studies and liberal arts. It also offers graduate degrees in Education, Special Education and Business Management. The campus does not have any fraternities or sororities. The athletic teams of the university are known as the Mustangs. The U.S. News and World Report has named Southwest Minnesota State University the number one college in its category on nine occasions.
Highlights (vs. Other Schools)
- Many students concentrating in education and teaching, art studies, and business and management.
- Large number of students.
- Large number of programs of study offered.
- High percentage of students are from out-of-state.
- High faculty salary.
- Number of dorm rooms for students.
School characteristics:
- The school is public.
- Academic calender: Semester.
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate Colleges, General.
Features of note:
- The school offers a faculty tenure system.
- There are one or more libraries on-campus.
- Campus housing is available.
- Students have meal (board) plans.
- Students may study abroad.
- Distance learning is available.
- Weekend study is an option.
- Part-time classes are available.
- Athlete financial aid is awarded.
Tuition and Financial Aid (2009-2010)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State Tuition and fees | $ 6,932 |
| Room | $ 3,890 |
| Board | $ 2,630 |
| Books and supplies | $ 1,000 |
| Other | $ 2,748 |
Financial Aid
Southwest Minnesota State participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.
In 2009-2010, 84% of students received financial aid of some sort.
| Grants | % of Students | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Any Grant | 72% | $4,999 |
| Institutional Grant | 55% | $2,839 |
| Federal Grant | 28% | $4,188 |
| Pell Grant | 28% | $3,286 |
| Other Federal Grant | 24% | $1,063 |
| State or Local Grant | 35% | $2,456 |
| Loans | % of Students | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Student Loan | 67% | $6,402 |
| Federal Loan | 67% | $5,104 |
| Other Loan | 15% | $5,930 |
(Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.)
Similar Schools
Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Southwest Minnesota State University:
Click a column header to sort.
| School | Location | Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frostburg State University | Frostburg, MD | 5,215 |
| 2 | Canisius College | Buffalo, NY | 4,916 |
| 3 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh, NY | 6,358 |
| 4 | Bemidji State University | Bemidji, MN | 4,816 |
| 5 | SUNY College at Cortland | Cortland, NY | 7,234 |
| 6 | Simmons College | Boston, MA | 4,933 |
| 7 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA | 8,855 |
| 8 | Le Moyne College | Syracuse, NY | 3,479 |
| 9 | SUNY at Geneseo | Geneseo, NY | 5,585 |
| 10 | SUNY College at Brockport | Brockport, NY | 8,275 |
Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)
| Degree | Total Earned | Different Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | 479 | 40 |
| Master | 121 | 3 |
| Associate | 5 | 2 |
Faculty
Tenure (2009-2010):
| Full-Time Faculty | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| With tenure | 76 | |
| Without tenure; working toward tenure | 20 | |
| Without tenure; tenure not available | 17 |
Students
Student enrollment was 6,502 in 2009-2010 (3,754 full-time equivalent).
About 47% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 53% of the class.
Undergrads are 93% of enrolled students and graduate students are 7%.
Students under 25 years old represent 85% of the student body. About 4% of the school is at least 40 years of age.
Among freshmen students, 99% are full-time and 1% are part-time.
Admissions Summary (2009-2010)
Applicants Admitted Men 69% Women 61% All 65%
Room and Board
Southwest Minnesota State provides on-campus housing for 1,068 of its 3,754 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.
Students may purchase a meal plan which includes 15 meals weekly.
Athletics
School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for major sports.
The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 118 male students received the aid (men were 61% of those receiving aid) and 74 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 39% of students receiving such aid) .
International Study
About 4% of freshmen are from countries other than the US.
International applicants are required to take the TOEFL exam.
Graduate School Focus
Southwest Minnesota State offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Master.
The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Postbaccalaureate Professional (Education Dominant).
Programs of Study
(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
- Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
ART STUDIES
- Art/Art Studies
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
- Accounting
- Business Administration and Management
- Finance
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
- Marketing/Marketing Management
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
- Computer Science
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
- Environmental Science
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
- Art Teacher Education
- Chemistry Teacher Education
- Education
- Elementary Education and Teaching
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education
- Health Teacher Education
- Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
- Mathematics Teacher Education
- Music Teacher Education
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
- Special Education and Teaching
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
- Public Administration
- Social Work
HOSPITALITY
- Hospitality Administration/Management
LIBERAL ARTS
- Creative Writing
- English Language and Literature
- History
- Political Science and Government
- Sociology
- Spanish Language and Literature
MATHEMATICS
- Mathematics
MEDIA
- Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
- Radio and Television
MUSIC
- Music Management and Merchandising
- Music
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
- Health and Physical Education
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
- Philosophy
SCIENCE
- Biology/Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
- Psychology