![Old Pictures of Peru State College](/media/peru-state/content-assets/images/content-types/peru-cards/HISTORYpage.png)
Rooted in History and Success
History of Peru State College
Peru State College, established in 1867, holds the distinction of being Nebraska’s first and oldest institution of higher education. Originally founded as a teacher training school, it was part of a nationwide movement to improve public education by creating institutions dedicated to training educators. The college began as the Mount Vernon School, a small one-room schoolhouse in Peru, Nebraska, before it was selected by the state legislature to become the Nebraska State Normal School. This transformation began its long-standing commitment to excellence in teacher education.