Founded in 1906, Valdosta State University (VSU) is one of the three regional universities in the US state of Georgia. Valdosta city itself is located to the south of the state, 18 miles from the border with Florida.

Academic study is offered at the colleges of Arts & Sciences, Arts, Business Administration, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences. VSU also provides over 60 graduate programmes, both face to face and online for those adults balancing a career and family life with their studies.

Situated at the centre of VSU campus is Odum Library. The total floorspace of this extensive facility covers 180,000 square feet, and is home to 567,000 physical volumes, as well as archival resources and government documents. On campus there is also an extensive outdoor art collection, and in 2012 a nine foot steel statue of the Norse god Fenrir was unveiled.

Donated as a gift to the University in 1944, the Jewel Whitehead Camellia Trail began with just 150 flowers, and today is considered the only trail of its kind at any university in the United States.

Athletics teams are known as the Blazers, and compete in the NCAA Division II. There are a total of twelve sports programmes, including men’s golf and women’s volleyball. Bazemore–Hyder Stadium is the home field of the American football team, and can host up to 11,200 spectators.

Professional wrestler Glacier, Belizean politician Patrick Faber, Oscar winning producer Lisa Blount, and television host Nancy Grace are all alumni of VSU. The university crest depicts the iconic West Hall, built in 1917 and the oldest building on campus.