Troy University

Troy University is a public university headquartered in Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. The legislature created it in 1887 as the State Normal School, a teacher-training college, and it has been Troy University since August 1, 2005. With campuses in Troy, Montgomery, Dothan and Phenix City, and military and online sites across the United States and abroad, it has more than 100,000 alumni.[1][2]

History

The State Normal School at Troy opened in 1887 to train white teachers and enrolled 128 students in its first year. It became State Normal College at Troy in 1893, a two-year normal school again in 1911, and State Teachers College in 1929 after Governor Bibb Graves raised the state’s normal schools to four-year status; the first bachelor’s degree was conferred in 1931. It moved to its University Avenue campus in 1930. The name became Troy State College in 1957, when it gained master’s degree authority, Troy State University in 1967, and Troy University in 2005, when the branch campuses were unified under one accreditation.[1][2]

Campuses and reach

Troy added military-oriented sites at Fort Rucker (Dothan) in 1961, Maxwell Air Force Base (Montgomery) in 1965 and near Fort Benning (Phenix City) in the 1970s, and began online courses in fall 1997. The university has 23 or more support sites, offers instruction in 16 states and 11 countries, and enrolls more than 800 international students from 75 countries on the main campus. A “1-2-1” programme with China let students split time between institutions and earn degrees from both; the Confucius Institute hosted from 2007 closed in March 2023.[1][2]

Academics

Troy has five colleges, a graduate school and a Division of General Studies, offering 46 bachelor’s, 22 master’s and three doctoral programmes. The 2025 undergraduate acceptance rate was 92.6 percent. U.S. News ranked it tied for 45th among Regional Universities in the South in 2020.[1]

Athletics and campus life

Football began in 1909, moved to Division I-A (now FBS) in 2001 and has a 6-3 record in FBS bowl games; the Trojans won back-to-back Sun Belt titles in 2022 and 2023, and earlier won the 1968 NAIA title and NCAA Division II titles in 1984 and 1987. Baseball won Division II national titles in 1986 and 1987. The “Sound of the South” marching band was founded in 1939 and has more than 300 members. Campus landmarks include the Trojan Statue fountain, the Violata Pax Dove sculpture and the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park, dedicated in 2016, with the Nall Museum and Gallery.[1][2]

FAQs

When was Troy University founded? 1887, as the State Normal School.

Where are its Alabama campuses? Troy, Montgomery, Dothan and Phenix City.

What conference does Troy play in? The Sun Belt Conference, NCAA Division I FBS.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Troy University
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Troy University

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue