Fairmont State University is located on a 90-acre campus near downtown Fairmont. It started in 1865 as West Virginia’s first private teacher-training school and became a state school in 1868. The first building opened in 1869, and the first student graduated in 1871.

Over the years, the school expanded, becoming Fairmont State Teachers College in 1931, Fairmont State College in 1943, and finally a university in 2004.

Fairmont faced challenges during the World Wars and the Great Depression. In 1946, the GI Bill helped boost enrollment. The school continued to expand with new buildings and became known for strong arts and education programs. In 1925, it helped start Alpha Psi Omega, a national drama honor society.

Fairmont State once included a community and technical college, but that part became Pierpont Community and Technical College, a separate school, in the 2000s.