Introduction

Mission
Minnesota State Moorhead is a caring community promising all students the opportunity to discover their passions, the rigor to develop intellectually and the versatility to shape a changing world.

Vision
Minnesota State Moorhead will be a university that transforms potential, empowers purpose, and graduates the region's most sought-after professionals.

Core Values
Moorhead's core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that dictate our behavior, shape our culture, and drive decision-making.

Grit: We show relentless drive and resourcefulness, pushing forward with purpose and tenacity.
Curiosity: We explore ideas to expand our learning, power, and growth and encourage us to think deeper.
Heart: We believe in everyone's potential by investing in people and championing their growth.

What Makes Moorhead Distinct?
Minnesota State Moorhead provides premier academic programs that prepare graduates to lead, innovate, and make an immediate impact. Learning is active, purposeful, and rooted in discovery, challenging students to explore ideas, think deeply, and apply knowledge boldly. Students work closely with faculty who know them, mentor them, and invite them into meaningful research, creative activity, and applied learning. Dragons engage early and often in hands-on experiences that strengthen confidence, fine-tune skills, and build momentum towards their goals.

Moorhead's campus culture is equally distinctive. We provide student experiences that engage, inspire, and foster belonging. Rooted in Dragon pride, we celebrate tradition and equip students to build lasting connections while encouraging them to explore new perspectives, challenge assumptions, and grow through discover. Moorhead is a welcoming, student-centered community where belonging matters and diverse perspectives are valued.

As a regional university with a global outlook, Moorhead is deeply connected to its community and industry partners. Through intentional collaboration, we align academic relevance with a student experience that ensures graduates are prepared not only to succeed in their profession, but to make a meaningful impact. Unique initiatives such as the Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence and the Honors College expand opportunity, develop leadership and fuel an innovative mindset.

Minnesota State Moorhead is proud of its history and confident in its future. Our students don't just earn a degree; they discover their purpose and develop their voices to make a difference.

Minnesota State Moorhead at a Glance
Minnesota State University Moorhead, with an enrollment of more than 4,400 full and part-time students, offers 75 undergraduate majors with 57 emphases, 28 undergraduate certificate programs, 18 graduate degree programs, and 19 graduate certificate programs. Included in our majors are 25 areas of teacher licensure preparation. Our professional programs are grounded in the liberal arts, designed to provide a broad base of knowledge and cultural themes. As a part of the higher education system established by the State of Minnesota, the University provides the advantages of a quality education at the lower costs made possible by the support of Minnesota’s citizens.

History of Minnesota State Moorhead
Moorhead was named the site for a new school in 1985 when the Minnesota legislature approved funding for a normal school on land donated by S.G. Comstock, declaring "...it would be a fine thing for the Red River Country and especially for Moorhead."

Moorhead Normal School opened in the fall of 1888 under its first president, Livingston Lord, presiding over five faculty members and 29 students. It became the state's fourth institution dedicated to preparing teachers for rural schools. Students earned two-year degrees that licensed them to teach kindergarten through eighth grade.

By the early 1900s, a growing need for high school teachers and rising high school enrollments prompted the school to develop four-year bachelor's degrees and a model school for student teaching. Reflecting this evolution, the institution was renamed Moorhead State Teachers College in 1921.

With the end of the war, enrollment swelled and the school diversified and broadened into both a liberal arts and professional curriculum. Because of that diversity, the institution's name was changed to Moorhead State College in 1957.

The following two decades were marked by rapid growth and a construction boom, including 11 new campus buildings and numerous new programs. In 1975, the institution became Moorhead State University.

In 1990, Moorhead State University's enrollment reached a record 9,151, converting from quarters to semesters in the mid-1990s. In 1998, The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees allowed state universities to adopt new names. After broad consultation with university stakeholders, the institutions's current name - Minnesota State University Moorhead - was approved and took effect on July 1, 2000.

Read more about our history and traditions HERE.

The Campus
Most of the 28 major buildings on the 119-acre campus have been constructed since 1957, including Langseth Hall and the Wellness Center. Weld Hall, the university's oldest building, recently underwent a $23 million renovation. Other campus buildings include six residence halls and one apartment facility, the Livingston Lord Library, the Comstock Memorial (Student) Union, Kise Commons food service, the Regional Science Center, Hendrix Counseling, Security/Police Substation, 11 classroom buildings, the Alex Nemzek Hall complex for men’s and women’s physical education, health and athletics, and Owens Hall administration building.

The Faculty
At Minnesota State Moorhead, learning is personal. Most classes are taught by professors who hold the highest degree in their field and are passionate experts in their field. They teach nearly every class, know students by name, and serve as advisors and mentors who are genuinely invested in student success.

Small classes improve learning and increase connection. Moorhead's 19-to-1 student-faculty ratio encourages students to ask questions, share ideas, and get involved. The average class size is 19.6, with 73.5% of courses enrolling fewer than 30 students, fostering a curious and creative learning experience.

The Fargo-Moorhead Community
Moorhead, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota are education-minded communities, with nearly 30,000 college students attending Division I, II, and III universities and a variety of community, technical, and business colleges.

With a metropolitan population of more than 260,000, the region is an economic driver for diverse industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, technology, agriculture, finance, bioscience, and distribution and logistics. 

Our Midwestern charm combines with big-city amenities to offer a thriving arts and culture scene, a plethora of unique eateries and drinking establishments, and outdoor recreation spaces for year-round enjoyment. There's always something to do in cities that are consistently ranked one of the top places to live in the country. It's easy to discover new friends, new interests, and new opportunities in our thriving, close-knit community.