St. Cloud State University, founded in 1869, is a public, comprehensive university. Its students get a top-notch education at an affordable price. Classes are taught by professors, not graduate assistants. Students work side by side with professors on research projects, which is rare at an undergraduate university of this size. SCSU is among the few universities in the upper Midwest to offer programs in such fields as aviation and geographic information systems. Programs are offered through the Colleges of Business, Education, Fine Arts and Humanities, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences; and All University. Its 108-acre campus is located in St. Cloud, 70 miles from the Twin Cities.