Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is one of the larger public universities in Tennessee, with around 21,000 students. Founded in 1911, its campus sits a short distance east of the town square and gives Murfreesboro a college-town character that distinguishes it from similar-sized Tennessee cities.
MTSU is particularly well regarded for its music industry programme — one of the oldest in the country — and the campus has recording studios and music industry facilities that draw students from across the South. The university's Jones College of Business and its aerospace programme are also notable. The campus itself is pleasant for a walk, with a mix of older brick buildings and newer facilities, and the MTSU athletics — the Blue Raiders — are a focus of local sports interest.