Reviews

Winona is a great college! I am absolutely learning a lot of information in a variety of classes! I am a nursing major, and I brought a year's worth of credits in with me from taking PSEO classes during my junior and senior years of high school. Therefore, most of my classes are prerequisites for the nursing major. Most of my classes are science related classes. I love them! They keep me busy, but I'm doing well in them and learning a lot. The professors are great and easy to talk to! Also, the science building is incredible (my favorite building on campus) so labs are organized as well!

I do absolutely love Winona - both the college and the city. The college campus is beautiful! I love how the campus is big enough that you meet new people everyday, but small enough that you recognize people around campus each day, too!
The bluffs in the city of Winona are a great place to meet up with people and go hiking on. The lake next to campus has a great running/walking path around it that MANY people take advantage of! It's a great way to relax from anxieties of life for a while and just take in some fresh air.
I love the college life in general! I love the freedom and responsibility of sort of being on my own. Each day is a new experience and it teaches me something new.
I LOVE Winona State University! :)

Winona State is an amazing university for a great price! Let's face it, college is expensive no matter where you go. Thankfully, Winona is actually less expensive than many universities! Also, Winona has a great reputation for academics, so it is definitely worth the investment!
Scholarships are easy to apply for at Winona during the admissions process. Once you are accepted to the university, you are automatically registered for any scholarships you are eligible for from the university. It's that easy!

Some students that I know in Winona that are from the Twin Cities or other really big cities sometimes say that the city of Winona doesn't have very many things to do in it. Well if they are from huge cities, Winona obviously isn't going to have all of the entertainment available that those cities have. However, for a small town girl like me, Winona is the perfect sized city to go to college in! College students are so busy and there are so many things to do on campus that I don't feel like I have tons of extra time to drive around the city looking for things to do.
Other random tips: Apply to the University early and apply for housing as soon as possible. Housing is first come first serve - you will have a much better chance of getting the housing you want if you apply early.
Also, don't be afraid to email professors and other faculty at the university if you have questions about anything; they are happy to help you and often respect students who show a real effort in their college experience.
Try to contact your roommate before you move in so you can decide who is bringing what appliances in your dorm. You can also decide if you want to loft your beds or just bunk them.
Otherwise, just do what you've been told your whole life - do as well as you can in high school and look forward to college with a positive attitude! :)

I am a farm girl from a really small town, so I wanted to go to a University that was in a nice sized town, but not too crazy at the same time. I do not think that I would have been comfortable in any university in a huge city! Any city that large is at least 2 hours away from where I live, so I'm not used to that atmosphere.
Winona is a very laid back city with friendly people in it. It's definitely a bigger town than any town in my area of world where I grew up, but it doesn't feel crazy. I feel safe walking around town at any time of day.
Winona has great science courses and is great for medical majors!

I love Winona State the people and the atmosphere is amazing! Everyone is very friendly. Also people are pretty out going which makes it even better because I'm pretty outgoing.

College is nothing like high school at all. You get to pick and choose what classes you want to take especially ones that sound very interesting to you. Also no one is around telling you what to do every 5 seconds, professors don't tell you to take your hat off like they did in High School they really don't care I mean you are paying for the class. Also you can go eat all by yourself in the cafeteria and no one will judge you, No one really cares around here what you really do unlike high school people were very judgmental. College is the time to meet new people go out and have a great time. Yeah it might be hard not being around your friends and family all the time but thats what college is all about! Time to explore the world that is around you. You can also take naps wherever you are and no one will care. College is something that everyone should do yes it is very hard at times but in the end you know everything will be worth it. From those sleepless nights to even times where you don't even eat! College is something that everyone should look forward to. Wish you all the best of luck!

If you don't understand something don't be afraid to ask the professor is there for a reason. Sign up for a time to meet with your professor and also going to the tutor center is very helpful. But make sure to go in with a lot of questions.

I live in an all girls dorm so it can get a bit hectic in here. However I don't really mind it because I don't have to worry about seeing boys all the time. The rooms aren't that small and make sure to make your room feel at home. I mean you are pretty much living there 24/7

Food is food sometimes its good sometimes its not. But what can you do? The cafeteria food isn't horrible

I love to go to the lake go for a long nice walk or a run. The lake is so beautiful its so peaceful and nice it just brightens up my day. Also downtown is always a fun time exploring what new.

Campus safety is great! If you are in really bad shape because you are intoxicated or you aren't in a safe zone. You can call the security guards and they will go and get you in a matter of seconds which is really nice so nothing bad happens to anyone

Quiet and peaceful
Small college
Located in a very small town

To get into WSU is not that hard. Good GPA (and TOEFL for international student). Some students never took SAT or ACT score and still got admitted. But if you want to be eligible for a lot of scholarships, take the SAT or ACT exam. Go for the university tour BEFORE you decide!

There aren't a lot of choices of professors to take because WSU is very small. The thing is if you find yourself don't like or don't do good with one particular professor, in higher level classes you still have to take that professor. You basically have no choice. In some classes, the professors are super helpful and easy but some professors there were just not helpful at all.

The dorms was not worth the money at all. They are super small and not many single room choices. But you make more friends living in the dorm than off-campus.

The food in the cafe is vary from breakfast, lunch/brunch, and dinner. They have soups, stir-fried with your choice of meat (or vegetarian), sauces like teriyaki, spicy paste, and etc. But it's pretty much the same almost everyday.
Now the food that's not in the cafe, they offer pasta with different sauces, grilled chicken, garlic or chese bread and meatball, they also offer sub sandwiches, burgers, fries, mexican food, sushi, and other asian food with your own choice.
The store is nice too. It has snacks, coffee, hot chocolate, and smoothies.

Winona is a very quiet town. It is almost depressing during the school break because most people who live in town are students. It is nothing to do in town even downtown. There are a couple of attractions and places like bowling place, lake for canoeing or kayaking, mountain for hiking and site seeing, and a movie theater. People normally go out of town either to the cities (Twin cities), or out of state to have fun. If you wanna shop at like Forever 21, Macy's, and stuff like that, there's none in Winona.

Things are not that expensive in Winona.
I'd say the college is worth the money since it's WSU is not expensive at all. Almost all of the people who go there, pick WSU because it's not expensive.
There are a lot of scholarships offered for you with particular major and it's very easy to get more scholarship as long as you keep your GPA 3.00 or higher.

There are not that many international students or students with different races compared to colleges in the cities. However, they promote the diversity really well.

Good for students who are not competitive, laid back, like being in a small town, and students who have their own car.

Depends on what club you wanna join. There are many of them. You'll make a lot of friends and learn more about the opportunities during the club meeting.

I didn't join any fraternity or sorority.

I feel like because it's small and most people who live in town are students. The place is really safe. You can walk alone at night and there will be campus security and cops around campus at night.

The classes are excellent and the professors are very knowledgeable about their fields. The classes are very comprehensive and complete. If you are having trouble with a class, Supplemental Instruction and tutoring are incredibly helpful! I have learned a ton since I have been here and feel very ready for my occupation.

Winona has a variety of activities to do when you are not studying. Going downtown is always fun and there are a lot of fun shops within walking distance of campus. The lakes always have a beautiful view for walking, running, biking, or rollerblading. There is also free canoeing in the summer and free ice-skating in the winter. Lacrosse and Rochester is a 45 min drive away and has lots of great restaurants and stores. Winona may be small, but it has lots of things to do!

Winona offers many scholarships ranging from diversity to music to merit to major specified. It is one of the most reasonably priced MNSCU schools in the state and I have saved a lot of money going here. You may not even need college loans!

My best advice for prospective students would be to come in with some credits if possible. Not only does it put you ahead of other freshman, but it allows you to choose your classes before the other freshman, makes finishing in four years more likely if you choose to pursue a minor, and gets you used to taking college classes.
As a freshman, make sure you step out of your comfort zone to meet people. Sure, it will be awkward, but that is the best way to meet friends you will have for the next four years!
Lastly, explore the scholarships that the school offers. Winona offers many different scholarships for diverse subjects, so you should be able to find one for you. Just spend the time...it's worth it!

If you are a hard working student who is passionate about what you want to do, this is the place for you to dive right in. Or if you still need to decide and explore your options, this is the perfect place for you!

Come into college with an open mind. Meet new people, and enjoy the college life too, because you will learn more about yourself and what you want to do with your life from these experiences.

Winona State University is like any other state school, depending on what classes you take and what your major is, the classes will vary on how difficult they are. The classes are never as bad as what you will read online though.

Once again, doesn't change too much compared to other schools. The big thing is that Winona State is a dry campus ,meaning no alcohol on campus, so if you plan on partying, don't get caught in the dorms because you will get kicked out.

The caf gets repetitive and bland after a while, but the school has a lot of options on campus, in an area we call the Smaug. Plenty of fast food and local restaurants will keep anybody happy.

If you are an outdoors-men, there are plenty of activities to do along the Mississippi River, and the lakes around campus. There are also numerous parks surrounding the campus, not to mention the downtown scene when a person is 21 is a nice way to enjoy Winona.

Compared to other Universities in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Winona State maybe one of the cheapest, for the same classes.

Always one of the top rated campus's in the nation. The security guards work along with the local police, and fire departments to assure the safety of students at Winona State University.

the campus of the school is beautiful, and has every tree industrious to minnesota growing on the campus.has over 100+ major and minor undergraduate programs, with a wide range of specializations within each department. the staff and professors are friendly, and are always will to help in or out of class.

talk with advising counselors about potential career paths. get to know the professors in your department, and the staff you meet will become great resources and contacts for the future. exhaust all options before picking a major, you have plenty of time to graduate, so make sure you graduate with a degree you have a passion for.

although its a state college, the level of competency required by the average student some times makes you feel you're at an ivy league school. professors are constantly challenging the students to over achieve, and surpass the normal stigma of the undergraduate model. so the students are prepared for the career path they have chosen.

winona houses more then 3000 students on campus, and on 2 residential campus located about a half mile east and west of main campus, with a shuttle schedule for student transport. wsu is constantly renovating the dorms to keep them updated with the demands of the student body. in 2010 they opened two new housing facilities for upper clansmen just across the street from campus to facilitate on campus living in an apartment style setting.

the food is absolutely fantastic. chartwells our dinning service offers two main cafeterias, on recently remodeled in 2009 on main campus, and the lourdes dinning hall on west campus. the variety of the food changes everyday, so there are always new options! on campus there is a large area in the commons building that sports a convince store, a burger joint, a sub shop, smoothies, and the smaug, that opens during lunch hours offering students, mexican, asian, italian, and soups for lunch.

the college is constantly holding events like, concerts, comedians, informational speakers, ect. every week there is some college sponsored event going on. around the town, winona is right on the mississippi river, and surrounded by bluffs. iv spend many days exploring the surrounding environment and always finding something to, like swimming and hiking, during the summer months. each residence hall has a volleyball court that are open in fall and late spring. students are always having pick up games, and its a great way to meet people. in the winter when the small lakes freeze over they make for great skating rinks for out door activities. year round the wellness center has a indoor track, two basketball courts, and a whole level of weight lifting equipment to occupy your time no matter what time of the year it is. winona is very touristy and has tons of unique shops downtown and round the area that always have something interesting in them. there is just so many things i could list off, but ill let you discover the rest on your own.

the cost of state college now days is getting more expensive. between tuition, housing, school supplies, and food you end up spending a decent amount of money. winona offers students countless scholarships to students, and on campus jobs. probably the best part about wsu is that they give you a laptop, as part as there e warrior program. the laptop is used as a person laptop that the school leases to you, and every two year's gives you a new up dated laptop. the computers all come preloaded with the most up to date soft wear of every program you could use for school. they also give the students the option of a windows laptop, or a macintosh laptop.

wsu has a huge basketball legacy, in the past 6 years the team has won two national division two championships, one in 2006 the other in 2008, and have been ranked in the top 25 since then. the campus also offers a wide variety of study areas and beautiful architecture, from a terrace over looking the campus, to quiet study room in the library. every student will find a comfortable study space in every building.

wsu is great for all kinds of students. its big enough that i always has something going on, but its small enough were the professors know your name. the student body has so much diversity, that its almost impossible to not meet a large variety of people, and make friends.

wsu has over 100 clubs and is constantly offering students opportunities to get involved in community and campus activities.

even though wsu is a state college we still sport a greek counsel. fraternity and sororities at wsu are: delta phi epsilon, delta sigma pi, phi beta sigma fraternity, phi theta chi, pi lambda phi fraternity, pi sigma epsilon, sigma sigma sigma, and tau kappa epsilon.

there is a 24 hour security service on campus that is constantly patrolling the campus. there are also emergency responder kiosks, that when activated dispatch local police to the location of the kiosk, and connect a direct line to an emergency responder while emulating a high pitched noise to draw attention to the area.

The best part about Winona State University is the small campus (and very beautiful) along with the small classroom sizes. As a Mass Communications major, the majority of my classes are discussion based. When the classes are smaller ranging from 10-25 students, it really gives everyone a great opportunity to get to know their peers and the other students who are interested in the same thing you are! It allows you to get outside of the box and meet some truly fascinating people! Plus, knowing your colleagues makes it so much easier to learn, participate and truly enjoy learning.
The professors at Winona State have been truly incredible and some of the most helpful and dedicated people I've met. After building strong relationships with some professors, I've been able to learn so much more about the future and was able to get all of the help I needed without feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable. My advisor and professor has opened so many doors for me and not only encouraged me to do my best, but inspired me to do even better. They are one of the best characteristics of Winona State!

The town is wonderful and although there isn't much to do, simply being outside is plentiful. The beautiful bluffs give a breath of fresh air every day I look outside my window, and biking around the lakes will always remain one of my favorite pass times here. If you're not one for nature, going to WalMart in the middle of the night is always interesting and fun! There aren't too many distractions around so it's great to be able to focus on what's really important, and frankly the whole reason you're here--school! I have met some incredible people and made some amazing friends, and the best part is that I continue to do so as I grow! Everyone is really friendly and it's not a rare occurrence to walk by a stranger and hear a friendly greeting.

Winona State can be very affordable if you live off of campus. While I wouldn't change my freshman year for the world, I spent a lot of money living on west campus in a single dorm paying for a daily meal plan. Watch where you stay and make your own food as much as possible! I know campus food is convenient, but it certainly adds up!
As a junior, I now live in my very own house with four other girls and pay my own rent, heat, electricity and cable. While this may seem like a lot, but sharing these expenses with roommates and paying as you go is certainly cheaper in the long run! If you stick to this strategy and simply pay for classes, Winona State University is definitely worth your buck!

Be yourself! Everyone else will be shy upon moving in, but everything will work itself out. As long as you're open, outgoing and most importantly willing to get to know people that are different from you, you will undoubtably meet some of the most incredible people.
You don't need a roommate! I didn't have one and still met some great friends. I never had a problem meeting people and in fact, loved my space and time to myself. If you'd rather have one, go for it! In most cases it works out just fine, and if you find that you and your roommate clash-that's perfectly fine! This will be a growing experience and you won't regret it.
Go to class! I know that it seems pretty awesome that you can skip whenever you want, but trust me, more professors want you in class than not. If you skip, you may be setting yourself up for failure by missing notes, assignments and participation. As most of my classes are discussion based, the professor notice if you're there or not and take this into account when grading. Go to class and get noticed! Talk and interact and participate. This will do you much more good than harm.
Be safe! This will be the first time for many (including myself) to go off to parties and experiment with drinking and drugs. While this is inevitable and whether or not you participate, you need to watch your back! You will be considered guilty by association even if you stay sober. So be safe! If you choose to drink and party (and there's nothing wrong with this), use your head! Stay with a loyal friend who will watch your back. Watch the time and make sure your priorities are straight. Don't overdo it and learn your limits. If you do this, you'll make some incredible memories.

If you're someone who loves nature, learning, being outside, meeting great people and wanting to be your best, Winona State University is the right school for you. If you get distracted easily, it's great to not have all of those fast food places and stores were you can easily waste your time and money (I know I would!). If you love small classroom sizes and an easy campus to navigate around with some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet, you are sure to love Winona State and be happy as a clam here. Schedule a tour today!

I am learning a lot at WSU and the helpful teachers really help out with this. Whenever I have an issue or have questions about a class I find it very easy to meet with the professors to talk about anything and everything.

I love going to Winona State because of all of the friends I have made and all of the sporting events, groups and clubs, as well as other fun events such as concerts!

Check out West Campus if you don't mind scheduling in a few more minutes for taking the short bus ride to main campus!

Great for those who like a smaller school that still offers many opportunities.

Most of the professors are great and honestly care about your education and success. There are multiple diversity events available that encourage learning. Student safety is a priority and campus security is very helpful when you are in need of assistance!

Don't bring alcohol into the dorms.

Bike riding, hiking, wall climbing, batting cages, ice skating, snow shoeing, swimming, golfing, intramural sports, football games, rollerblading, site seeing, horseback riding, volleyball, and tennis.

Great restaurants in downtown Winona! Bubs, Zaza's, Jefferson's, and Betty Jo's. Tavern has the best wings in town!

WSU has a wide array of clubs and extra curricular activities available to anyone!

WSU is committed to student safety!

Winona is a great place to go for the full college experience. The academics here are great and the professors are very helpful. There is also so much stuff to do in and around Winona, especially when it comes to outdoorsy activities.

Winona is a great school. I would highly suggest living in the Dorms your first year because that is by far one of the best ways to meet new people. Also, there is a lake lodge on the big lake and you should definitely pay the $5 for a year long membership. You get to go kayaking or canoeing or paddle boating and there are activities held there too. I would suggest trying to join a club or two because that is also a great way to meet new people. The school is super supportive of its students. They have so many ways that you can get help if you are having a hard time understanding what is going on in classes. There are tutoring centers, you can always create a study group with fellow classmates, or the professors are normally more than willing to help out and really want you to succeed in their classes.

Classes can be difficult but as long as you DO THE WORK and go to class, you should have the materials that you need to succeed.

The rooms are small, but it is so much fun to get to know your neighbors and create new friendships with people in the dorms. There are also a lot of activities put on in the dorms where you can win free stuff or get free food.

There are TONS of options provided in the cafeteria. Personally I prefer to eat in the smaug because I am obsessed with mondo's sub's.

There is always something on campus that you can do. There are many activities and shows that are put on throughout the year. Otherwise it is just a short walk to downtown Winona which has everything any city would need (like a movie theatre and bowling alleyâ?¦). If one of these doesn't appeal for you then, there are plenty of sporting events and outdoorsy activities. Hiking up to Garvin or to Sugar Loaf is always good fun, especially when you get to the top and get to witness such a miraculous view of the bluffs and Winona. There are also the lakes that you can walk around or bike or rollerblade. You can also go fishing or swimming or kayaking. There are endless possibilities for you to encounter for fun.

It is a more expensive public school BUT they provide you with a lap top (which is really awesome) and a mini iPad. The school is very technology based which ends up being really convenient because you don't have to cary around as much crap because so much of it is on your computer.

I can't think of any unusual traditions off of the top of my head. There is one location on campus that is just known as the very center. There is a big white gazebo and if you stand at the gazebo you can see every building on campus.

The college is small and a lot of the classes are pretty small to. It is a great school to be closer to your professors and classmates.

There are so many clubs on campus it would be impossible to not find anything you like or enjoy. Whether it be the school or the club, there are constantly activities available to go to on or off campus. On campus is usually sporting events, hypnotists, comedy acts, bands and such. Off campus they have sponsored $3 movie nights and free bowling nights as well.

I am not personally into greek life but there is plenty of it here if you are interested. All of the sororities and fraternities are really fun and everyone is super friendly. It is a great way to meet new people and make life long friends.

In my personal opinion, I have never been afraid on this campus. There is a great security program and the lights are on at night. It is a very safe campus.