Founding of Michigan State University

Date: February 12, 1855 • Location: East Lansing, United States

The precursor of Michigan State University in East Lansing was founded as the United States' first agricultural college.

Michigan State University is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the country. After the introduction of the Morrill Act in 1862, the state designated the college a land-grant institution in 1863, making it the first of the land-grant colleges in the United States. The college became coeducational in 1870. Michigan State has facilities across the state, and over 550,500 alumni.