| Location: | Southeast |
| Setting: | Small Town Setting |
| Type: | Public |
| Size: | Large (5,000 to 10,000 Undergrad) |
| Mascot: | Racers |
Murray State University, located in the town of Murray, Kentucky, is an approximately 10,000-student, four-year public university. Having adopted the moniker "Kentucky's Public Ivy University," the school has striven to maintain a strong academic reputation and has been rewarded with high marks when compared with other regional public universities in U.S. News & World Report and other college ranking publications. In addition to the main campus, Murray State University operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, and Henderson.
The history of Murray State University can be traced to the passage of Senate Bill 14 by the General Assembly, which would create two normal schools to address the growing demand for professional teachers. One of these schools would be in the western part of the state, which caused many cities and towns to bid for the new normal school. Rainey T. Wells spoke on behalf of the city of Murray to convince the Normal School Commission to choose his city. On September 2, 1922, Murray was chosen as the site of the new western normal school, and Morehead was chosen as the site for the eastern normal school. On November 26, 1922, John Wesley Carr was elected as the first president of the Murray State Normal School by the State Board of Education. At the same time, the Normal School Commission, under the belief that it had the right to elect the first president, elected Rainey T. Wells. May 15, 1923, The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the decision made by the State Board of Education, and Carr would be the first president.
Opening day for Murray State Normal School was September 23, 1923. Until the first building was completed, now Wrather Hall, the Normal School held classes on the first floor of Murray High School. All students commuted to classes until the first dormitory was constructed in 1925 as Wells Hall. Wilson Hall was also completed under Carr's presidency, and other structures were in progress. In 1926, Rainey T. Wells, recognized as the founder of Murray State, also became the second president. Wells served as president from 1926 to 1932, and during this time Lovett Auditorium, Carr Health Building, and Pogue library were all completed. In 1926, the Normal School was also renamed to Murray State Normal School and Teachers College when the General Assembly granted the institution authority to confer baccalaureate degrees. In 1928, the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and in 1930 the name was changed to Murray State Teachers College when the school was granted authority to offer liberal arts and preprofessional courses. The name was changed again in 1948 to Murray State College, and then in 1966 the General Assembly authorized the Board of Regents to change the name to Murray State University.
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| Percent of Students International: | 3% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 35% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Ohio Valley Conference) Basketball (Ohio Valley Conference) Baseball (Ohio Valley Conference) Track (Ohio Valley Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 4,428 | $ 12,036 | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 3,792 | $ 11,400 | |
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 636 | $ 636 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 2,999 | 19% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 2,075 | 39% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 3,535 | 35% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 4,367 | 32% | |
Any Aid: |
70% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 84% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 99% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 19, Verbal: 19, Math: 19 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 25, Math: 24 |
| Application Fee: | $ 25.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Recommended |
| High School Rank: | Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
