WELCOME TO THE ’BORO!
New MTSU students quickly learn that they’re also part of Murfreesboro, whose residents reach out to students and make them feel at home. Many students reciprocate by engaging in the civic life of the city.
Living in Murfreesboro means you’re in the middle of it all—at the geographic center of the state. (There’s even a monument to prove it.) The city is within comfortable driving distance of other cities across Tennessee and neighboring states.
Murfreesboro is an ever-expanding city of more than 152,000 people, the second fastest-growing city in Tennessee (behind Nashville). SmartAsset ranked Murfreesboro No. 1 on its list of “Top Boomtowns” in America, for economic factors as well as population growth.
The ’Boro offers a vibrant quality of life that led Rolling Stone magazine to call it “a surprisingly hip town.” The heart of Murfreesboro has more than 100 buildings dating to the 19th century, with a historic square featuring restaurants, shops, and entertainment.
Each May, JazzFest brings live music to the square—including student musicians from MTSU. From mid-May to late October, you can pick up fresh produce, honey, bread, fresh flowers, and more at the Saturday Farmers Market downtown. (Local farms offer pick-your-own strawberries and blueberries, too.)
Like history? Visit the Stones River National Battlefield, where nearly 80,000 soldiers fought a fierce Civil War battle. The national park includes living history programs and a cemetery for fallen U.S. soldiers.
Murfreesboro’s Greenway System has 15 miles of trails, bridges, and boardwalks to explore throughout the city, and it hosts the Greenway Art Festival each September.
It’s just a half-hour drive to Nashville, Music City USA, where you can enjoy live music, museums, festivals, and your choice of pro sports—Titans (NFL), Predators (NHL), Nashville SC (MLS), and Nashville Sounds (minor league baseball).
TAKE A
CLOSER LOOK
MTSU is located about 30 miles from Nashville, ranked No. 2 in the U.S. for “hottest job markets” by the Wall Street Journal and No. 6 “best city for young professionals” by SmartAsset. The Nashville-Franklin-Murfreesboro metro area is among the nation’s fastest-growing economies.
The Jones College of Business at MTSU has embedded “soft skills” training, such as communication and problem-solving, in the curriculum through an exclusive partnership with the Dale Carnegie professional development organization.
HackMT brings together college students annually for a regional hackathon, where young programmers, software developers, visual designers, and others team up for projects during a 36-hour competition. MTSU offers programs in both Computer Science and Information Systems.