Rasmussen College is a historical institution that was founded on September 1, 1900 in St. Paul, Minnesota by Walter Rasmussen. For more than a century, we have been providing exceptional opportunities for people who want to better their lives through education.
Today, we offer traditional, online, and blended-learning courses with flexible scheduling, and award Bachelor’s and Associate’s degree, as well as diplomas and certificates in a variety of areas. Rasmussen College owns and operates 12 campuses in Minnesota, North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida.
In addition, Rasmussen College has been awarded Regional Accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
For information about our school, or the benefits we offer our students, please visit www.rasmussen.edu.
Our Mission
Rasmussen College is dedicated to serving our communities by recognizing the diverse needs of individuals.
We encourage personal and professional development through respect, appreciation and a commitment to general education as a foundation for life-long learning.
As an Institution of Higher Learning, Rasmussen College is committed to preparing students to be active, productive, and successful contributors to a global community.
The Campus Experience
Step on to a Rasmussen College campus, and you will find it hard to believe you are at a school at all. That’s because Rasmussen College operates under the assumption that students appreciate a warm, supportive, community environment during their education. Our staff and faculty strive to create a welcoming atmosphere with dedicated support services for our students. Classrooms, computer labs, and the libraries feature resources designed to help students achieve their academic goals.
For more than a century, students have come to Rasmussen College with dreams of earning a college degree, achieving a better career, and providing a strong foundation for their lives. Dedicated staff, such as Career Placement Coordinators and Student Success Coordinators, work one-on-one with students to help them overcome challenges during their career as a student until the day they walk across the stage as a graduate.
Aside from the diverse number of degree programs available at Rasmussen College, the 92 percent career placement rate, and the high accolade of Regional Accreditation, students choose Rasmussen College because of its strong commitment of service to students and its principles of providing a solid, career-focused, education designed to give graduates the better life they have worked to achieve.
View the Rasmussen College History Book
With more than 107 years of academic excellence, Rasmussen College is a trusted and respected Higher Learning Institution. Learn about the path that we took to get to where we are today, and visit often to learn more about the history of Rasmussen College.
View our history
1900 - 1920
The Aim and Purpose of Rasmussen Practical Business School is twofold:
- To prepare young men and women for responsible positions in all lines of business.
- To help pupils win their way to a noble manhood or womanhood.
-- excerpt from Rasmussen Practical Business School Ad, 1908
Walter Rasmussen founded Rasmussen College at the turn of the century, to meet the needs of a growing business environment. Originally named the Rasmussen Practical School of Business, the first campus opened its doors on September 1, 1 900 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The college was a welcome addition to the city's landscape, where the promise of top-notch secretarial and accounting programs gave eager new students the skills to succeed in the new business climate.
1921 - 1940
"Familiarity with real business methods, not theories, not philosophies, not ethical creeds, but a genuine knowledge of commercial affairs, is an asset which can be converted into wealth, honor, and preferment."
-- excerpt from Rasmussen Practical Business School Advertisement "Start the New Year Right", 1923
Though the Depression hit Minnesota in 1929, Rasmussen College remained a strong establishment in St. Paul, continuing to offer programs and teach the emerging business class. Women were given the right to vote just a few years earlier, and their importance was now recognized in the workplace. As a result, the young women of Rasmussen College now sat side by side with young men, learning to become secretaries, clerks, bookkeepers, and stenographers. By the end of the 30's, the economy had bounced back, and Rasmussen's graduates were ready to meet the new business environment head-on.
1941 - 1960
"You are young. You are wide-awake. You are ambitious! You don't want to be stuck in some mediocre job without any opportunity to meet nice people and improve yourself. You want other ambitious, modern young people like yourself, and enjoy with them the hours of work as well as the hours of relaxation and social activity"
-- Excerpt from Rasmussen College Advertisement "The Business Training Way", 1947
When Walter Rasmussen retired in 1945, he named Walter C. Nemitz to succeed him as director of Rasmussen College. Nemitz had been with the school since 1934, as both a teacher and an assistant principal. Under Nemitz's new leadership, Rasmussen College underwent a number of upgrades. Fluorescent lighting was installed, 100 new typewriters were purchased, and new calculating, adding, and duplicating machines were added to the training programs. By 1950, the college’s 50-year anniversary, Rasmussen had graduated over 22,400 students. By 1960, Rasmussen's students were not only graduating to become secretaries, stenographers, typists, accountants, bookkeepers and clerks, but also machine operators, and salespersons.
1961 - 1980
"Men and Women of all age groups, of varied academic background and life experience are finding out the hard way that knowledge and personal experience are not enough to satisfy selective employers."
-- Article excerpt from "Back to School in the City", St.Paul Downtowner, April 10, 1975
Between 1961 and 1980, it became clear that the traditional educational path was not always the most effective path. University graduates were having hard time finding positions, while the demand for business trained secretaries and accountants skyrocketed. Because of the increased interest in business college graduates, Rasmussen College grew quickly during this time. Two new campuses were added, and the court reporting program was expanded to include a new business curriculum. By 1980, Rasmussen College was placing a high percentage of its students in the workplace - a trend that would continue through the present day.
1981 - 2000
The period between 1981 and 2000 defined Rasmussen College as we know it today. In 1986, Rasmussen College became the first two-year career school (public or private) granted approval to offer the AAS degree in Minnesota. Nine years later, Rasmussen received accreditation from AHIMA for the HIT program, and officially changed its name from Rasmussen Business College to Rasmussen College.
In the year 2000, Rasmussen College celebrated its 100th Anniversary, marking a century of leadership and innovation in career education. What began as just a single building in St. Paul became four state of the art campuses sprawled across the great state of Minnesota.
2001 - Present
"I love to see the improvements and growth that students make from their initial visit to our campus and watch them transition into their new life as a college graduate. It's the reason I do what I do, it's all about making a difference.”
-- Rasmussen College staff member
In the past three years, Rasmussen College has added the Brooklyn Park campus, the Lake Elmo / Woodbury campus, the Green Bay, Wisconsin campus and the Rockford, Illinois campus to its system, and recently received a six year grant of Regional Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.
From its simple beginnings as a small business college, Rasmussen has experienced more than a century of growth. Now, it operates 12 campuses that serve students in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin (opening in October 2007). Over 50 programs are offered, including the recently added Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. Today, Rasmussen College is proud to offer educational programs that teach the practical career skills sought by today's employers.
