Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University International Student Insurance

Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), established in 1873, is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It opened as Southeast Missouri State Normal School, a teacher training institution. The original normal school building was described by Mark Twain in his book “Life on the Mississippi.” That building burned down in 1902 and was replaced with Academic Hall, which remains a landmark feature on campus to this day. The School was renamed Southeast Missouri State Teachers College in 1919 and Southeast Missouri State College in 1946. 

Between the 1950s and 1970s, enrollment grew from 1,600 to more than 7,000 thanks to low tuition costs, recruiting initiatives, and the construction of an interstate between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. As the school grew, so did its focus, and in recognition of this, it was renamed Southeast Missouri State University in 1972. Today, SEMO enrolls more than 11,000 students and counting each year. The school’s colors are red and black, and its athletic nickname is the redhawks.

On Campus

SEMO operates four regional campuses in Kennett, Malden, Sikeston, and Perryville, all in Missouri.

The Kent Library on the main campuses is the home of the Center for Faulkner Studies, featuring materials from and about novelist William Faulkner. Noteworthy research initiatives on campus explore topics like child development, earthquakes, gerontology, regional history, and science and mathematics education.

Notable Alumni

Notable Southeast Missouri State University alumni include Cedric the Entertainer; Rush Limbaugh, Sr., father of media personality Rush Limbaugh and former editor of the campus newspaper; Linda Goodwin, NASA astronaut; and Roy Thomas, comic book writer and former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics.

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