The University of Minnesota was founded in Minneapolis in 1851 as a college preparatory school. Today the University has a presence throughout the state with its five campuses and several research and outreach centers.

From the Crookston campus on the edge of the northern prairie to the newest campus, Rochester, less than 50 miles from the state's southern border, the University builds a healthier, sustainable world, while contributing knowledge and innovations to people. With a graduate school created in 1905, the University has assisted in leading the nation in scholarship and higher learning.

The University of Minnesota ranked among the top public research universities in the world. Such life-changing work as the recent creation of a beating heart and stem cell transplant to cure recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), a once-fatal skin disease, indicates the caliber of the University's research.

Online Learning
The University of Minnesota is pleased to offer the flexibility of online learning to provide additional learning opportunities for busy people. You can earn a University of Minnesota degree online, from anywhere in the world. The online programs are equivalent to the on-campus degree programs, usually with the same instructors, program requirements, and curriculum. All degrees are conferred by the Regents of the University of Minnesota, whether the courses were taken online or in-person.

Our online students have access to most of the same resources students on campus have access to. Besides, Digital Campus offers support especially designed for distance and online students. The Digital Campus offers both fully online programs (online course delivery without any campus-based sessions) and hybrid programs (online with a limited number of on-campus/community-site sessions).

Accreditation
The five University of Minnesota campuses are accredited separately at the institutional level by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Financial Aid
Every student who meets the basic eligibility criteria and completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is eligible for some form of assistance:
-    Grants, waivers, and education benefits
-    Scholarships
-    Work-study
-    Loans