Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver or Metro State) is a public university in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is located on the Auraria Campus, along with the University of Colorado Denver and the Community College of Denver, in downtown Denver, adjacent to Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue. In the fall 2025 semester, MSU Denver had an enrollment of 17,111 undergraduate students and 1,225 graduate students.
History
Metropolitan State University of Denver was founded in 1965 as an opportunity school. By design, MSU Denver is required to be accessible to all, which is why it consistently has some of the lowest tuitions of four-year Colorado colleges and universities. Nearly 54% of the student body are students of color.
MSU Denver was the first university to advocate for DREAMers to have a chance at higher education by providing in-state tuition rates under the ASSET bill, signed by then Gov. John Hickenlooper in the Jordan Student Success Building lobby. It made national headlines.
Campus
MSU Denver shares the Auraria campus with two other higher education institutions, the University of Colorado Denver and Community College of Denver. The traditional main entrance to campus is Speer & Lawrence between the North and Science buildings.
The campus is located in the heart of the central business district. The reclaimed Callie Maher brewery, which closed in 1969, now operates as the Tivoli Student Union.
Organization and administration Janine Anne Davidson became president of MSU Denver on July 24, 2017.
Matthew Makley was named provost effective April 2025.
On June 7, 2002, Governor Bill Owens signed House Bill 1165 – Concerning the Establishment of an Independent Governing Board for Metropolitan State College of Denver – and named his appointees to MSU Denver's board of trustees.
MSU Denver's student government operates under the name "The Student Advocacy Council" (TSAC).
Schools and centers MSU Denver contains four colleges and two schools. College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering and Design College of Business College of Health and Human Sciences College of Letters, Arts and Sciences School of Education School of Hospitality
Metropolitan State University of Denver is also home to a variety of projects, research centers, and institutes.
Accreditation MSU Denver is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Several programs and units are accredited by disciplinary-specific organizations, including:
The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems programs are accredited by ABET.
University names Colloquially referred to as Metro State or Metro, MSU Denver formally became a university on April 18, 2012. 1965–1990: Metropolitan State College 1990–2012: Metropolitan State College of Denver 2012–present: Metropolitan State University of Denver
Name change controversy The then-Metropolitan State College of Denver Board of Trustees on March 9, 2011, approved a legislative proposal to change the institution's name to "Denver State University" following a vote among students and faculty.
University of Denver administration and faculty publicly objected to "Denver State University" as MSU Denver's new name, arguing that the name would cause confusion between the two institutions and encroach on DU's longstanding identity. As a result of this, the board of trustees decided to cancel the planned name change. Some community members objected and viewed this change of plans as allowing a private university (University of Denver) to decide the fate of a public one (MSU Denver).
Student life Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2025 Race and ethnicityTotal White Hispanic Black Two or more races Asian American Indian/Alaska Native International student Unknown Economic diversity Low-income Affluent
Greek life The institution has various fraternity and sorority chapters.
Student media The Office of Student Media supports four student media productions: The Metropolitan (newspaper) Met Radio – KMET Met TV Metrosphere
Athletics
MSU Denver has produced 239 All-Americans and was one of the seven charter members of the Colorado Athletic Conference in 1989 before joining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1996. MSU Denver competed as a NAIA member until 1983, when the Roadrunners jumped to the NCAA Division II ranks. Since 1998, MSU Denver has captured 32 regular season conference titles, 35 conference tournament championships, as well as the 2000 & 2002 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball, the 2004 and 2006 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer, and the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball National Championships. Basketball/Volleyball – Auraria Events Center Baseball/Soccer/Softball – Regency Athletic Complex RMLC/MLCA Men's Lacrosse - Dick's Sporting Good Park Camps and clinics MSU Denver Soccer Camps
Domestic relationships
University of Arizona Adams State University, Colorado Mesa University, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, University of Colorado Denver, Western Colorado University Fort Hays State University Mount Saint Mary's University†‡ Ohio State University University of Puerto Rico University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee‡ University of Wyoming‡
† = private ‡ = London Consortium
International relationships China – Open University of China Ethiopia – Aksum University (AkU) Mexico – University of Guadalajara United Kingdom – University of London
Notable students Individuals of note who have attended the institution include:
Kat Cammack U.S. Congressperson Brittany Pettersen U.S. Congressperson David W. Ball writer David Barlow basketball player Michelle Beisner-Buck reporter Richard T. Castro activist Steven Emory soccer player Mark Worthington basketball player Pam Grier actress Candi Kubeck pilot Tony Laubach Meteorologist and storm chaser featured on the Discovery Channel Joe Rice legislator and mayor of Glendale Laura J. RichardsonUS General Hayden Smith – rugby and football player Todd Schmitz swimming coach Gary Striewski journalist Gloria Tanner – Colorado state senator Benjamin Ortner basketball player
See also List of colleges and universities in Colorado
Notes
References
External links
Official Athletics website