100 East Normal Street
Kirksville, MO 63501


Truman State University is a public, liberal arts college located in Kirksville, Missouri. Originally founded as North Missouri Normal School and Commercial College, so named for a method of training teachers that originated in France, in 1867, the state designated the school the first in the state to prepare teachers for educating children in the public school system. Through name changes, Truman State University was still known as a teaching college for a century. In 1967, other degree programs were introduced at the college and the name was changed to Northeast Missouri State University. That name stuck with the school until 1995, when the Missouri Governor changed the name once again. Truman State University was designated to both celebrate a decade since the college had been given statewide designation, as well as to honor Harry S. Truman, the only Missouri native to serve as a U.S. President.

Today, more than 5,800 students a year enroll at Truman State University. The school offers 49 undergraduate majors in five schools and six graduate level programs. The schools at Truman State University are: Liberal Studies, College of arts and sciences, School of business, School of Health Sciences and education and Interdisciplinary Studies. Students at Truman State University can earn a Master's Degree in: accounting, biology, communication disorders, education, English and music. The Graduate School received the number one ranking by U.S. News and World Report's selection of public universities in the Midwest.

Students who wish to live on campus may live in one of the six residence halls or in one of the two apartment buildings on campus. There are also plenty of off-campus housing opportunities. Kirksville is located about 30 miles south of the Iowa border and about three hours each from Kansas City, St. Louis or Des Moines. For those students who love the outdoors, Thousand Hills State Park and the lake offer outdoors adventurers the chance for boating, swimming, fishing, mountain biking, hiking and nature study.


Quick Facts:

A full half of graduates of Truman State University are accepted into graduate or professional schools after leaving the school, while another 48 percent enter the workforce.

The Truman State University Bulldogs compete in intercollegiate sports in: basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, baseball, football and wrestling.

There are more than 25 Greek fraternities and sororities on the campus of Truman State University.

There is a plethora of student organizations and clubs at Truman State University in which to become involved. They include: media, cultural departmental/professional, Greek, honorary, sports, religious, service, special interest and student government.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.