Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, and Henderson.

Murray State University offers 11 associate, 64 bachelor, and 42 master and specialist programs, which are administered through four academic colleges, two schools, 30 departments, and one joint program shared by the college of business and the college of science, engineering and technology. The college of business is the largest at Murray State, enrolling 23 percent of the undergraduate students.

Murray State has been institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and School, Commission on Colleges, continuously since 1928. Murray is one of eight schools in the state of Kentucky to achieve AACSB accreditation of business programs; however the school is not AACSB-accredited in accounting programs. Several other programs have achieved specialized accreditation: primarily programs in teaching, fine arts and nursing. As a former normal school and teachers college, Murray State is best known for its NCATE-accredited education programs. The university has also gained national recognition for its fine arts programs. The department of music has been a member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1936