Firstly University was founded as Southwest Minnesota State College in 1963. Later in 1975 it became Southwest State University. And only in 2003 it adopted the current name of Southwest Minnesota State University.  

Southwest Minnesota State University, located in Marshall MN. It is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is divided into two major colleges, the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, and the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies. SMSU offers liberal arts and professional programs, providing quality undergraduate and graduate education and exceptional value in a friendly, small-campus setting with excellent facilities and amenities. SMSU is dedicated to promoting college preparation and success by offering concurrent enrollment programs for high school students. The university offers 50 undergraduate majors, 44 minors, four associate-degree majors and four master’s programs.

Mission Southwest Minnesota State University prepares students to meet the complex challenges of this century as engaged citizens in their local and global communities. Also the university provides a quality liberal arts education while preparing students to excel in a world changed constantly by technology. Student involvement in the learning experience is critical for retention, leading to our dedication to pedagogical improvements that have been shown to enhance the learning experience.

Distance Learning at Southwest Minnesota State provides a variety of off-campus academic programs delivered for students that want to learn outside the traditional brick and mortar campus classroom setting.

SMSU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Moreover, Southwest Minnesota State University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Minnesota Board of Teaching, the American Chemical Society, the Council on Social Work Education, and The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.