The university was founded in 1963 as Southwest Minnesota State College and admitted first class of students on September 19, 1967. Now it is divided into two major colleges, the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, and the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies.

Southwest Minnesota State University offers a wide range of Academic Programs
and provides undergraduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies for the following areas: Accounting, Agribusiness Management, Anthropology, Art, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, English, Environmental Science, Foreign Languages, Global Studies, History, Hotel and Restaurant Administration, Humanities, Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Justice Administration, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Rural and Regional Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Speech Communication, Theatre Arts, Wellness and Human Performance, and Women's Studies. University also supports a Center for Rural and Regional Studies, and offers masters degrees in Business Management, Education, and Special Education. The most popular majors are Justice Administration and Education. With over 45 Undergraduate degrees and 3 Masters degrees students always have ability to choose from.

Financial Aid
The Student Financial Aid Office provides fair, equitable and unbiased service to students seeking financial aid by helping students find financial means that enable them to enroll in and complete their academic programs. Financial Aid office also assures delivery of federal and state financial assistance to students within regulations and rules established by the respective education departments. The office coordinates all federal, state and institutional financial assistance, including grants, scholarships, student loans and student employment.