Metropolitan State University of Denver
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Former names | Metropolitan State College (1965–1990) Metropolitan State College of Denver (1990–2012) |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Changemakers Wanted" On Seal: "Excellence in Teaching and Learning" |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1965 |
Academic affiliations | Page Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content. |
| Endowment | $26.2 million (2024)[2] |
| President | Janine A. Davidson[3] |
| Provost | Matthew S. Makley |
Total staff | 2,848 (faculty, student, and non-academic staff as of Jan. 2022) |
| Students | 18,336 (fall 2025)[4] |
| Undergraduates | 17,111 (fall 2025)[4] |
| Postgraduates | 1,225 (fall 2025)[4] |
| Location | , U.S. Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Campus | Urban,126 acres (51 ha)[5] |
| Newspaper | The Metropolitan |
| Colors | Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content. Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content. Blue & red |
| Nickname | Roadrunners |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II – Rocky Mountain |
| Mascot | Rowdy the Roadrunner |
| Website | msudenver.edu |
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Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver or Metro State) is a public university in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is located on the Auraria Campus, along with the University of Colorado Denver and the Community College of Denver, in downtown Denver, adjacent to Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue. In the fall 2025 semester, MSU Denver had an enrollment of 17,111 undergraduate students and 1,225 graduate students.[4]
History
Metropolitan State University of Denver was founded in 1965 as an opportunity school. By design, MSU Denver is required to be accessible to all, which is why it consistently has some of the lowest tuitions of four-year Colorado colleges and universities. Nearly 54% of the student body are students of color.[6]
MSU Denver was the first university to advocate for DREAMers to have a chance at higher education by providing in-state tuition rates under the ASSET bill, signed by then Gov. John Hickenlooper in the Jordan Student Success Building lobby.[7][8] It made national headlines.[9][10][11][12]
Campus
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MSU Denver shares the Auraria campus with two other higher education institutions, the University of Colorado Denver and Community College of Denver. The traditional main entrance to campus is Speer & Lawrence between the North and Science buildings.
The campus is located in the heart of the central business district. The reclaimed Callie Maher brewery, which closed in 1969, now operates as the Tivoli Student Union.[13]
Organization and administration
Janine Anne Davidson became president of MSU Denver on July 24, 2017.
Laura Niesen de Abruña was named provost effective January 25, 2024.[14]
On June 7, 2002, Governor Bill Owens signed House Bill 1165 – Concerning the Establishment of an Independent Governing Board for Metropolitan State College of Denver – and named his appointees to MSU Denver's board of trustees.[15][16]
MSU Denver's student government operates under the name "The Student Advocacy Council" (TSAC).[17]
Schools and centers
MSU Denver contains four colleges and two schools.[18]
- College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering and Design
- College of Business
- College of Health and Human Sciences
- College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
- School of Education
- School of Hospitality
Metropolitan State University of Denver is also home to a variety of projects, research centers, and institutes.
Accreditation
MSU Denver is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Several programs and units are accredited by disciplinary-specific organizations, including:
- The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).[19]
- The College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
- The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science[20] and Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems[21] programs are accredited by ABET.[22]
University names
Colloquially referred to as Metro State, MSU Denver formally became a university on April 18, 2012.[23]
- 1965–1990: Metropolitan State College
- 1990–2012: Metropolitan State College of Denver
- 2012–present: Metropolitan State University of Denver
Name change controversy
The then-Metropolitan State College of Denver Board of Trustees on March 9, 2011, approved a legislative proposal to change the institution's name to "Denver State University" following a vote among students and faculty.[24][25]
University of Denver administration and faculty publicly objected to "Denver State University" as MSU Denver's new name, arguing that the name would cause confusion between the two institutions and encroach on DU's longstanding identity.[26][27][28] As a result of this, the board of trustees decided to cancel the planned name change. Some community members objected and viewed this change of plans as allowing a private university (University of Denver) to decide the fate of a public one (MSU Denver).[29][30]
Student life
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | Template:Bartable | ||
| Hispanic | Template:Bartable | ||
| Black | Template:Bartable | ||
| Two or more races | Template:Bartable | ||
| Asian | Template:Bartable | ||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | Template:Bartable | ||
| International student | Template:Bartable | ||
| Unknown | Template:Bartable | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | Template:Bartable | ||
| Affluent[b] | Template:Bartable | ||
Greek life
The institution has various fraternity and sorority chapters.[32]
Student media
The Office of Student Media supports four student media productions:[33]
- The Metropolitan (newspaper)[34]
- Met Radio – KMET[35]
- Met TV[36]
- Metrosphere[37]
Athletics
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MSU Denver has produced 239 All-Americans and was one of the seven charter members of the Colorado Athletic Conference in 1989 before joining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1996. MSU Denver competed as a NAIA member until 1983, when the Roadrunners jumped to the NCAA Division II ranks. Since 1998, MSU Denver has captured 32 regular season conference titles, 35 conference tournament championships, as well as the 2000 & 2002 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championships and the 2004 and 2006 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer national crowns.
- Basketball/Volleyball – Auraria Events Center
- Baseball/Soccer/Softball – Regency Athletic Complex
- RMLC/MLCA Men's Lacrosse - Dick's Sporting Good Park
Camps and clinics
- MSU Denver Soccer Camps[38]
Domestic relationships
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- University of Arizona[39]
- Adams State University, Colorado Mesa University, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, University of Colorado Denver, Western Colorado University[40]
- Fort Hays State University[41][42]
- Mount Saint Mary's University†‡
- Ohio State University[43][44][45]
- University of Puerto Rico[46]
- University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee‡
- University of Wyoming‡
† = private ‡ = London Consortium[47]
International relationships
- China – Open University of China[48][49]
- Ethiopia – Aksum University (AkU)[50]
- Mexico – University of Guadalajara[51][52]
- United Kingdom – University of London[53]
Notable students
Individuals of note who have attended the institution include:
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- Kat Cammack – U.S. Congressperson
- Brittany Pettersen – U.S. Congressperson
- David W. Ball – writer
- David Barlow – basketball player
- Michelle Beisner-Buck – reporter
- Richard T. Castro – activist[54]
- Steven Emory – soccer player
- Mark Worthington – basketball player
- Pam Grier – actress
- Candi Kubeck – pilot[55]
- Tony Laubach – Meteorologist and storm chaser featured on the Discovery Channel
- Joe Rice – legislator and mayor of Glendale
- Laura J. Richardson – US General
- Hayden Smith – rugby and football player
- Todd Schmitz – swimming coach
- Gary Striewski – journalist
- Gloria Tanner – Colorado state senator[56]
- Benjamin Ortner – basketball player
See also
Notes
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- ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
- ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Member Schools". Colorado Space Grant Consortium. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student" (XLSX). National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). February 12, 2025. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Janine Davidson named next president of MSU Denver". MSU Denver. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MSU Denver Institutional Research Student Profiles". Metropolitan State University of Denver.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Auraria Higher Education Center" (PDF). December 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."About Us". msudenver.edu. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.MSU Denver RED (May 14, 2019). "New Colorado law extends state financial aid to Dreamers". MSU Denver RED. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.MSU Denver RED (June 14, 2022). "Dreamers reflect on a decade of DACA". MSU Denver RED. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Frosch, Dan (August 17, 2012). "A College Lifts a Hurdle for Illegal Immigrants". The New York Times.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gillette, Hope (August 21, 2012). "Metropolitan State University sets the stage with policy for DREAMers". Voxxi.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Metropolitan State University Of Denver Begins Special Tuition Rate For Undocumented Students Today". The Huffington Post. August 20, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cotton, Anthony (August 3, 2012). "Metro State moving ahead with tuition plan for illegal immigrants". The Denver Post.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Timeline". Tivoli Student Union. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Academic Affairs Provost". MSU Denver. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Budget Definitions of Terms" (PDF). Metropolitan State College of Denver. July 21, 2011. p. 3.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Board of Trustees: Welcome". Metropolitan State College of Denver. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2023-2024 Councilors". MSU Denver Student Government - The Student Advocacy Council. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Art at MSU Denver, CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION, CAREER PROSPECTS, DATA AND INSIGHTS, HIGHLIGHTS, OUR PROGRAM OPTIONS". www.msudenver.edu. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MSU Denver Computer Science Program Objectives & Outcomes". Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences. Metropolitan State University of Denver. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MSU Denver Computer Information Systems". Metropolitan State University of Denver. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Metropolitan State University of Denver". Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Our History". MSU Denver. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Metro State Board of Trustees selects new name for the College". Metropolitan State College of Denver. March 9, 2011. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.McGhee, Tom (March 10, 2011). "Metro State votes to close book on name". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fowler, Donna (November 14, 2011). "Strategic Name Initiative: DSU off the table". This Week @ Metro. Metropolitan State College of Denver. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Auge, Karen (November 18, 2011). "Metro State tests new names after "Denver State" idea gets booted". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Student Activities: Fraternities and Sororities". Metropolitan State University of Denver. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Metropolitan". Office of Student Media, Metropolitan State University of Denver. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Met Radio at MSU Denver". Metro Student Media. February 18, 2012. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Met Report". Metro Student Media.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Metrosphere: The Art & Literary Magazine of MSU Denver". Archived from the original on October 5, 2011.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Roadrunners Soccer Camps". Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Metro State enters community partnership to train teachers for high-need DPS classrooms". President's Message. Metropolitan State University of Denver. November 2011.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Foster, Cliff (August 13, 2012). "Trading talent: MSU Denver, University of Puerto Rico launch teacher exchange program". This Week@MSU Denver.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Study-abroad opportunities continue to expand". This Week @Metro. November 19, 2003.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MSU Denver Richard T. Castro Distinguished Visiting Professorship". Metropolitan State University of Denver.
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External links
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- Official Athletics website
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