Getting To SMSU

MSP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) is located 2.5 hours from the  Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP) International Airport .  Please make your travel arrangements to arrive at the MSP International Airport.  You should  plan to arrive 1-2 days before the Mandatory International Student Orientation (MISO) begins on Monday, August 18, 2025.  All new and transfer international students must arrive to check-in and move into their campus room on this day.

LODGING & TRANSPORTATION TO SMSU

We received a special Mustang rate for students arriving to begin school at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) at these hotels below.  They offer free airport pick-up service once you arrive at MSP - contact the hotel directly to make your room reservation ahead of time and to schedule a pick-up from the airport to the hotel.  You may ask the person at the Information Desk in the luggage area to call the hotel for you and ask for the hotel shuttle to pick you up.  There are also black courtesy phones hung along on the walls in the luggage area that you can use to call the hotels for your airport pick-up.  If you use these black courtesy phones, be sure to dial 9 first, then the area code and phone number of the hotel to speak with the front desk and ask for their hotel shuttle to pick you up at MSP. 

These hotels offer free breakfast, internet, and even a shuttle to nearby tourist attractions.  We recommend you stay at these hotels to get the special low rate:

• Tru Hotel by the Mall of America for $109/night

Address: 2415 E Old Shakopee Rd Suite B, Bloomington, MN 55425

Phone:  (952) 213-4782

Click on the link below to reserve a room: 

Tru Hotel Booking Link 

• Wyndham Bloomington-Mall of America for $129/night (July-Dec) and $99/night (Jan-Feb)

A Charter Bus is scheduled to pick up all new students staying at the above hotels only -  to take them to SMSU at 10:00AM US Central Time on Monday, August 18, 2025.  Please email CIE at cie@smsu.edu by Friday, August 8 , 2025 to confirm that you are staying at one of the above hotels and to reserve your seat on the bus.  If you do not email us to confirm your seat on the bus, there may not be enough room for you and your luggage and you may need to arrange your own transportation (see below). 

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO SMSU

Make your travel arrangements from  Minneapolis Airport (MSP) to SMSU early.  Be sure to plan for hotel lodging ahead of time and make your reservation early.  To get to SMSU, our recommendation is to take a bus at the Greyhound Minneapolis Bus Station.  From the airport, you can take a cab to the Minneapolis Bus Station.  You MUST purchase your ticket ahead of time and print out the ticket.  You must show the ticket to board the bus.  It leaves around 12NOON and arrives to SMSU around 4:30PM.  You must arrange your flights to arrive early so that you have plenty of time to catch your bus to Marshall (Southwest MN State Univ), Minnesota.  This may mean staying overnight at a nearby hotel and catching the bus the next day.

Contact the CIE at cie@smsu.edu or call us (507) 537-6018 if you need anything during your travels and if you have any questions about getting to SMSU.  Travel safely and see you soon!