From a humble 1892 beginning upstairs over a downtown store in the village of Mount Pleasant to the fourth-largest university in the state, Central Michigan University's growth is tribute to the determination of visionaries who saw the Lower Michigan crossroads town as a potential home to a world-class learning center. First a private enterprise, then a state school, Central Michigan Normal School and Business College, the school would change names four more times to be known as CentralState Teachers College, Central Michigan College of Education, Central Michigan College, and Central Michigan University on the road to making its founder's 19th-century dreams a 21st-century reality. With a total enrollment of 27,452, Central Michigan University offers a broad selection of more than 3,000 courses and 25 degrees.