Missouri State University, formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second-largest university by enrollment, with an enrollment of 23,418 in the fall semester of 2023. The school also operates a two-year campus in West Plains, Missouri offering associate degrees, which had an enrollment of 1,060 in the fall semester of 2023.