The University of Minnesota has its main campus in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, although it has campuses throughout the state. The university was founded in 1851, and has more than 50,000 students and an in-state cost of $9,598 per year, as of 2011. The university's stated aim is to share knowledge not only internally with students, but with the community, which leads to the institution's high involvement in the community around the Twin Cities campus.
Walden University is the second largest college in Minnesota, with just under 30,000 students enrolled as of 2011. The university is split between a headquarters in Minneapolis and an online distance-learning section. The focus of the university is on master's and doctoral degrees, aimed particularly at those who wish to combine a degree with a job. Walden is well-respected and well-ranked within the online-degree sector, and has been reviewed favorably by U.S. News and World Report.
Capella University, like Walden, specializes in online degrees, although Capella has a residency requirement for part of its students' study. Capella has a student body of 21,000 students, a mix of undergraduates and postgraduates, specializing in business, education and various public policy courses. Capella also allows students to take single-course options without completing a full course of study. Capella was founded in 1993 and--as of 2011--had an enrollment that included students from all 50 states.
St. Cloud State University is located in St. Cloud, and has just under 17,000 students as of 2011. It became a university in 1975, although it was founded in 1869. St Cloud is the second-largest university in Minnesota, and the fourth largest university based in Minnesota. The university offers a range a degrees, and houses a large number of international students, drawn from 80 different countries. St. Cloud also runs 13 different study-abroad programs for its pupils.
Minnesota State University is located in Mankato, south of the Twin Cities area. It has an enrollment of 15,000 students as of 2011. The university was founded in 1867, and includes five core values in its mission statement: integrity, diversity, access, responsibility and excellence. The university has a strong sports reputation, with its ice hockey teams competing in NCAA Division I. The university is predominantly composed of undergraduates, although there is a significant body of postgraduates. Minnesota State University is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.