# State colleges named for cities w/o "State" in the name. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 29, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191 "2008-03-29T19:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/1 "2008-03-29T19:01:03Z")
I’m trying to think of schools like the University of Memphis. UCLA wouldn’t count because it has the name of the state in it. Wichita State wouldn’t count because it has “State” in it. Memphis is all that I can come up with but surely there are others. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/2 "2008-03-29T19:14:10Z")
Auburn University. Auburn is approaching city size, especially when coupled with Opelika. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/3 "2008-03-29T19:28:02Z")
The University of New Orleans, University of Baltimore, University of Toledo. Perhaps the University at Albany? ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/4 "2008-03-29T19:49:50Z")
Memphis used to be “Memphis State”. The University of Houston qualifies - the UH System is one of the state university systems in Texas with a board of regents appointed by the Governor and responsible to the state leg. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/5 "2008-03-29T20:39:17Z")
The City University of New York. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/6 "2008-03-29T20:40:40Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] Perhaps the University at Albany? [/QUOTE] That one is a SUNY school, so it doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/7 "2008-03-29T20:43:01Z")
Question: What do you mean by “state colleges”? Does it have to be part of the state system or are you just saying something like “colleges in a state”? Assuming they don’t have to be part of the state system: Indiana University in Indiana, PA. - Actually, I think this doesn’t count, because it’s officially IUP - Indiana University of Pennsylvania. So scratch that. University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/8 "2008-03-29T20:51:42Z")
William and Mary. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/9 "2008-03-29T20:58:16Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] That one is a SUNY school, so it doesn’t count. [/QUOTE] Right, although in many such cases the state is left out of the name in everyday conversation. In California, for example, the Cal State campuses are often referred to as [City] State. I knew some people who went to the California State University at Sacramento, but everyone referred to the school as Sacramento State, and the school’s [own website](http://www.csus.edu/) even uses that term in the header, even though the url is csus.edu. Another public university i know of that just has the town name, and no state name, is Towson University, just north of Baltimore. Then there are public schools that don’t have the town or state name, like Morgan State University, a traditionally-black public university here in Baltimore. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/10 "2008-03-29T22:15:20Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Question: What do you mean by “state colleges”? Does it have to be part of the state system or are you just saying something like “colleges in a state”? Assuming they don’t have to be part of the state system: Indiana University in Indiana, PA. - Actually, I think this doesn’t count, because it’s officially IUP - Indiana University of Pennsylvania. So scratch that. University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. [/QUOTE] I meant schools that are of the state system. I thought that Pitt was private but I see from their site that they are “state-related” so I guess that qualifies. Sacramento State wouldn’t count because it has “State” in the name, unless they went by the name University of Sacramento. [Douglas Adams mode]In much the same way that Fresno State doesn’t.[/DAM] ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/11 "2008-03-29T22:49:11Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] That one is a SUNY school, so it doesn’t count. [/QUOTE] Sure it does. The major SUNY schools have dropped “SUNY” from their offical name and references. Officially, they’re “University at Albany,” “University at Buffalo,” “Binghamton University,” and “Stony Brook University,” with a reference line “State University of New York” outside the official name. Stony Brook University doesn’t even have a reference in their logo. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/12 "2008-03-30T00:19:29Z")
You mean like land-grant schools? There is a town of Clemson but it and the university are both just named after the person. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/13 "2008-03-30T00:34:28Z")
The University of Louisville! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/14 "2008-03-30T00:59:16Z")
Rutgers is the state university of New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/15 "2008-03-30T02:28:53Z")
[QUOTE=KRM] I’m trying to think of schools like the University of Memphis. UCLA wouldn’t count because it has the name of the state in it. Wichita State wouldn’t count because it has “State” in it. Memphis is all that I can come up with but surely there are others. [/QUOTE] University of Cincinnati University of Akron Radford University ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/16 "2008-03-30T02:51:33Z")
does Cal Poly count? The official name is California Polytechnic University but everyone calls it Cal Poly. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/17 "2008-03-30T03:04:15Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] You mean like land-grant schools? There is a town of Clemson but it and the university are both just named after the person. [/QUOTE] I guess that’s what I mean. I was really thinking of any school that wasn’t private which I assumed only left “state schools”. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/18 "2008-03-30T03:05:52Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] does Cal Poly count? The official name is California Polytechnic University but everyone calls it Cal Poly. [/QUOTE] I don’t believe that has a city in its name. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/19 "2008-03-30T03:08:07Z")
[QUOTE=olivesmarch4th] Rutgers is the state university of New Jersey. [/QUOTE] But Rutgers is in the city of New Brunswick so it doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191/20 "2008-03-30T03:19:55Z")
[QUOTE=Lamar Mundane] William and Mary. [/QUOTE] Thats in Williamsburg and I don’t think it was named for the town. The only Virginia public university that meets the criteria that I can think of is Radford University in Radford, VA. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-colleges-named-for-cities-w-o-state-in-the-name/443191.md?page=2)