The University of Minnesota is a large university with several campuses spread throughout the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. There are five primary campuses in the Twin Cities, Duluth

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...

, Crookston

Crookston, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile...

, Morris

Morris, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,068 people, 1,929 households, and 985 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,183.2 people per square mile . There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 482.6 per square mile...

, and Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...

. A campus was open in Waseca

Waseca, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,493 people, 3,388 households, and 2,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,215.6 people per square mile . There were 3,563 housing units at an average density of 929.5 per square mile...

 for a time. The university also operates several research

Research

Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 facilities around the state, including some large tracts of land. The other major higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 network in the state is the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System comprises 31 colleges and universities, including 24 two-year colleges and seven state universities...

 (MnSCU).
The flagship Twin Cities campus is by far the largest in the system, with a total enrollment of 52,557 students (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and non-degree included); Duluth

University of Minnesota Duluth

The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...

 reported 11,806; Crookston

University of Minnesota Crookston

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a four-year university located in Crookston, Minnesota. With 1,600 undergraduate students , it is one of five campuses in the University of Minnesota system. Currently, students from 29 countries and 40 states are enrolled .Located on the northern edge of...

 had 2,653; Morris had 1,932; and Rochester

University of Minnesota Rochester

The University of Minnesota Rochester is the newest campus of the University of Minnesota system, having been formally established in December 2006. Over 35 academic programs are available on the campus in Rochester, Minnesota located downtown near the Mayo Clinic. In April 2008, Stephen...

 had 273, bringing the system-wide total to 69,221 for fall semester 2011.

The colors of the university, which are used system-wide, are maroon

Maroon (color)

Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...

 and gold

Gold (color)

Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....

.

Because of its size and several decades of history prior to the addition of other campuses, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (sometimes abbreviated UMTC) is what most people think of upon hearing "University of Minnesota." It can actually be subdivided into multiple parts.