The campus was transferred to the State of Minnesota under the agreement that American Indians would always be admitted free of tuition; the current UMN Morris still follows this policy.

This was one of four such schools established by the university in outstate Minnesota to provide agricultural and home economics education to rural youth.

The WCSA operated for half a century, but declining enrollment in the late 1950s prompted the University of Minnesota to phase out its regional agricultural schools.

[11] The only surviving building from the Morris Industrial School for Indians, an 1899 dormitory, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

[15] The district was nominated for being an excellent example of a residential agricultural high school, one of the longest running in the nation and one of the most intact.

[11] The WCSA campus buildings were mostly designed by state architect Clarence H. Johnston Sr. in American Craftsman style and built in the 1910s and 20s.

[20] The music discipline provides performing opportunities such as choir, symphonic winds, jazz ensembles, orchestra, and recitals.

[23] Morris is one of the first public colleges to generate on-site renewable power from local resources, such as corn stover.

[25] At the campus's Regional Fitness Center, locally manufactured solar thermal panels collect the sun's energy to heat swimming pool water.

A solar photovoltaic system on the south side of the science building converts sunlight into electricity.

[26] In August 2013 the University of Minnesota Morris opened the Green Prairie Living and Learning Community.

The Green Prairie Living and Learning Community was designed to meet Minnesota B3 sustainability guidelines and LEED Gold certification.

The Cougars previously competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) of the NCAA Division II ranks from 1966–67 to 2002–03.

In 1993, UMN Morris was the first college in the United States to sponsor women's wrestling as an official varsity sport.