University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

Motto	Commune vinculum omnibus artibus (Latin)
Motto in English	A common bond for all the arts
Type	Public Flagship University Land-Grant Sea-Grant Space-Grant
Established	1851 (1851)
Academic affiliations	University of Minnesota system AAU BTAA URA APLU
Endowment	$3.297 billion (2015)
Budget	$3.8 billion (FY 17)
President	Eric W. Kaler
Provost	Karen Hanson
Academic staff	3,804
Students	48,231
Undergraduates	28,942
Postgraduates	15,859
Doctoral students	3,430
Location	Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States 44°58′29″N 93°14′07″W / 44.974747°N 93.235353°W / 44.974747; -93.235353Coordinates: 44°58′29″N 93°14′07″W / 44.974747°N 93.235353°W / 44.974747; -93.235353
Campus	Urban 2,730 acres (1,100 ha)
Colors	Maroon & Gold
Nickname	Golden Gophers
Mascot	Goldy Gopher
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I Big Ten, WCHA (Women's ice hockey)
Website	www.umn.edu

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Minnesota; locally known as the U of M or simply the U) is a public research university in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses are approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) apart, and the Saint Paul campus is actually in neighboring Falcon Heights. It is the oldest and largest campus within the University of Minnesota system and has the sixth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 51,147 students in 2013–14. The university is organized into 19 colleges and schools, with sister campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester. UMN is categorized as an R1 Doctoral University with the highest research activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Minnesota's athletic teams at the Twin Cities campus are known as the Minnesota Golden Gophers and compete in the NCAA's Division I as members of the Big Ten Conference. They have won 20 national championships as of 2015.

The original Minneapolis campus overlooked the Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River, but it was later moved about a mile (1.6 km) downstream to its current location. The original site is now marked by a small park known as Chute Square at the intersection of University and Central Avenues. The school shut down following a financial crisis during the American Civil War, but reopened in 1867 with considerable financial help from John S. Pillsbury. It was upgraded from a preparatory school to a college in 1869. Today, the University's Minneapolis campus is divided by the Mississippi River into an East and West Bank.