Rasmussen College-Minnetonka

Rasmussen College is a private, for-profit, two-year and four-year degree-granting college with seven campuses in Minnesota including Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Lake Elmo, Mankato, Moorhead and St. Cloud; one campus in Rockford, Illinois; two campuses in North Dakota, including Bismarck and Fargo; three campuses in Florida, including Fort Myers, Ocala and Pasco County; one campus in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and, an Online Division.

Rasmussen College was founded in 1900 by Walter Rasmussen.

The College offers on campus and online classes and awards Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees as well as diplomas and certificates in a variety of career areas.

History

The school was founded in 1900 as the Rasmussen School of Business by Walter Rasmussen in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Rasmussen believed that the need for skilled professionals by the local business community was not being met. This belief led to the development of the school’s vision, which was:

1. To prepare young men and women for responsible positions in all lines of business.
2. To help pupils win their way to a noble manhood or womanhood.

The first classes were held in September of 1900. With the advent of women's suffrage in 1920 through the passage of the 19th Amendment, the school’s female enrollment numbers began to increase. In 1945 Walter Rasmussen retired and sold his interest in the school to Walter Nemitz. Nemitz instituted a number of curriculum changes, requiring that students learn how to use calculating machines, adding machines, and duplicating machines. Additionally, he mandated that the schools' facilities be updated, which included installing fluorescent lighting in all buildings and purchasing 100 typewriters for students to use.

Rasmussen College is a private, for-profit, two-year and four-year degree-granting college with seven campuses in Minnesota including Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Lake Elmo, Mankato, Moorhead and St. Cloud; one campus in Rockford, Illinois; two campuses in North Dakota, including Bismarck and Fargo; three campuses in Florida, including Fort Myers, Ocala and Pasco County; one campus in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and, an Online Division.