Fairmont State University - Definition

Fairmont State University is a public college in Fairmont, West Virginia. The college was founded as a private institution in 1865, and became a branch of the state normal college in 1867. It was renamend Fairmont State Teachers College in 1934 and Fairmont State College in 1943.

In 1974, a community college component was founded. This became independently accredited as the Fairmont State Community and Technical College in 2003. In 2004 the school, along with three other state "colleges", was renamed as a university.

The combined enrollment of the university and the community college is about 7,000; however, the majority are part time.

Fairmont State's athletic teams, known as the Falcons, compete in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II.