Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university, and has over 145,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is the second-oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and is commonly referred to as the flagship institution. It was established as the "Second State Normal School" in 1858 and officially opened as "Mankato Normal School" a decade later.