Founded in 1855 as the nation's pioneer land-grant institution, Michigan State University is committed to pushing the boundaries of discovery and forging enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges. MSU is among the top research universities in the world, offering nationally ranked and recognized academic, undergraduate research, residential college, and service-learning programs, and is a leader in education abroad among public universities. A diverse and inclusive academic community, MSU enrolls more than 50,000 students from all 50 states and more than 130 countries, employs more than 2,000 tenure-system faculty members, and offers more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.