Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU or MNSU), also known as Minnesota State, is a public comprehensive university located in Mankato, Minnesota. The university sits atop the bluff of the Blue Earth River valley, approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Founded as Mankato Normal School in 1868, it is the second oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is also the secord largest public university in the state, and has over 116,000 alumni worldwide. It is the most comprehensive of the seven universities and is referred to as the flagship of the Minnesota State Universities and Colleges system. It is an important part of the economy of South-Central Minnesota as it adds more than $452 million to the economy of Minnesota annually.