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Former name | Morehead Normal School (1887–1922) Morehead State Normal School (1922–1926) Morehead State Normal School and Teachers College (1926–1930) Morehead State Teachers College (1930–1948) Morehead State College (1948–1966) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Lux |
Motto in English | Light |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1887 |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| Endowment | $79 million (2024)[1] |
| President | Joseph A. (Jay) Morgan[2] |
Academic staff | 405[3] |
Administrative staff | 591[3] |
| Students | 8,791 (fall 2024)[4] |
| Undergraduates | 8,258 (fall 2024)[4] |
| Postgraduates | 533 (fall 2024)[4] |
| Location | , Kentucky ,United States 38°11′20″N83°25′52″W / 38.189°N 83.431°W /38.189; -83.431 |
| Campus | Rural 700 acres (2 km2) |
| Colors | Blue and Gold[5] |
| Nickname | Eagles |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division IFCS OVC,Pioneer Football League |
| Mascot | Beaker |
| Website | www |
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Morehead State University (MSU) is apublic university inMorehead, Kentucky, United States. The university began asMorehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. TheCraft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a two-year residentialearly college high school on the university's campus, was established in 2014.
The university began asMorehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. One student appeared on the first day of class in October 1887, in a little, rented cottage where theAdron Doran University Center now stands. The private school closed in the spring of 1922 when theKentucky General Assembly establishedMorehead State Normal School. The state institution accepted its first students in the fall of 1923, and graduated its first class in 1927. Name changes occurred again 1926, when it was extended toMorehead State Normal School and Teachers College; in 1930, when it was shortened to justMorehead State Teachers College; in 1948, when it was shortened again toMorehead State College; and, finally, toMorehead State University in 1966. Fourteen people, starting with Frank C. Button, have served as president. Joseph A. Morgan assumed office as the 14th president on July 1, 2017.[6]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86% | ||
| Black | 3% | ||
| Hispanic | 3% | ||
| Two or more races | 3% | ||
| Unknown | 2% | ||
| Asian | 1% | ||
| International student | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 49% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 51% | ||
Morehead State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools.[9] It offers over 212 degree programs at the two-year, four-year, and graduate levels through four colleges: Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences; Elmer R. Smith College of Business and Technology; Ernst & Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education; and College of Science. It was the first institution in Kentucky to offer a complete degree program online, the Master of Business Administration (MBA). MSU is one of five institutions in the U.S. with a bachelor's degree inspace science.[3] Over 74,000 persons have received degrees from MSU.
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| Regional | |
| U.S. News & World Report[10] | 27 |
The 2026U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings listed Morehead State at 12th place among public "regional universities" in the South and 27th overall among all regional universities in the South.[11]
TheCraft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics was established in 2014. It is a two-year residentialearly college high school serving approximately 220 high school juniors and seniors at Morehead State University. Students live in Craft Tower residence hall on campus and take MSU classes during their time at the academy, graduating with a Craft Academy high school diploma as well as at least 60 hours of MSU college credit, with tuition, room and board, and meal plan all free of charge. The academy is funded in large part byJoe Craft and AmbassadorKelly Craft, who donated over $10 million to the academy, the largest donation in MSU history.[12][13]
Morehead State University | |
   | |
| Location | Bounded by University Blvd., Battson Ave. and Ward Oates Dr.,Morehead, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°11′12″N83°26′03″W / 38.1867°N 83.4341°W /38.1867; -83.4341 |
| Area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Collegiate Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001381[14] |
| Added to NRHP | November 25, 1994 |
Morehead State University is located in the foothills of theDaniel Boone National Forest inRowan County. The more than 700-acre main campus within the city limits ofMorehead includes more than 50 major structures with a total replacement value of more than $650 million. Beyond the city, the university's real estate holdings include the 320-acre Derrickson Agricultural Complex, Eagle Trace, a par-72, 6,902-yard public golf course, and 166 acres of the Browning Orchard. The instructional plant includes 135 classrooms and 150 laboratories. Housing facilities include space for approximately 2,900 students. The second component of the Space Science Center opened in 2009—a $16.6 million instruction and research support facility.[3]
A portion of the campus was named as ahistoric district on theNational Register of Historic Places. Thecontributing properties include the following buildings: the President's Home, Senff Natatorium (demolished in 2008),[15] Button Auditorium, Fields Hall, Camden-Carroll Library, Allie Young Hall, Rader Hall, Grote-Thompson Hall, and the Breckenridge Training School. All were designed by the Olmstead Brothers.[citation needed]
The Morehead State University Arts and Humanities Council, established in 2003, encourages dialogue and partnerships in the arts.[16] Part of a larger initiative within the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the Council works to develop cultural opportunities both on and off campus. Morehead, long known for its patronage of the arts inKentucky with such organizations as theKentucky Folk Art Center[17] and the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music,[18] was the childhood home of philanthropistLucille Caudill Little. Named after Lucille Little, MSU's Little Company is a touring troupe of students in the Theatre Department that performs plays and conducts workshops for up to 100 schools in the area each year.[19] Along with theatre, Morehead State University has a well-developed dance program.[20]
Morehead State Public Radio (MSPR) is governed by theBoard of Regents at Morehead State University. MSPR is operated by its flagship stationWMKY at 90.3 FM in Morehead. WMKY in Morehead is licensed for 50,000 watts and serves more than 20 counties inKentucky,Ohio, andWest Virginia. The WMKY studios are located in Breckinridge Hall on the campus of Morehead State University. WMKY has operated since 1965.[21]
The Morehead State athletic teams are called the Eagles. The eagle mascot is named Beaker, and the school colors are blue and gold. The university is a member of theNCAA Division I ranks (for football, theFootball Championship Subdivision), primarily competing in theOhio Valley Conference (OVC) since the 1948–49 academic year;[22][23] while its football team competes in thePioneer Football League (PFL). The Eagles previously competed in theKentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now currently known as the River States Conference (RSC) since the 2016–17 school year) of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1933–34 to 1947–48; and in the defunctWest Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) from 1929–30 to 1932–33.
Morehead State competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports:[24] Men's sports baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf and track & field; while women's include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, dance and rifle.
With 2017–18 being its initial season and the OVC not yet sponsoring the sport, the beach volleyball team will compete as an independent. The football team competes as a member of thePioneer Football League, a non-scholarship Division I (FCS) league.
Morehead State Eagles men's basketball won the 2009 OVC tournament championship, sending them to theNCAA tournament for the first time since 1984. At the2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 13th-seeded Morehead State upset Louisville 62–61. It was the second NCAA Tournament win for Morehead State in a three-year span. The Eagles also beat Alabama State in the 2009 Opening Round game. The Eagles then faced 12th-seeded Richmond in the third round, which was only the ninth time in tournament history that a 12–13 match-up occurred in the round of 32. The coed cheerleading squad has won 23 national championships, and the all-female squad has won 10 national titles.[25]
There are several fraternities and sororities on campus.
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