Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland. It is a part of the University System of Maryland. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University has evolved into a university with eight colleges and over 20,000 students. Towson is one of the largest public universities in Maryland and still produces the most teachers of any university in the state. Towson University is ranked as the 98th-best public university and 197th-best overall university nationally in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report rankings.