  northeastern state university (nsu) is a public university with its main campus located in tahlequah, oklahoma, united states, at the foot of the ozark mountains. the university also has two other campuses in muskogee and broken arrow. northeastern is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of oklahoma as well as one of the oldest institutions of higher learning west of the mississippi river. tahlequah is home to the capital of the cherokee nation of oklahoma and about 25 percent of the students at nsu identify themselves as american indian.agnew, brad. encyclopedia of oklahoma history and culture. "northeastern state university." ==history== on may 7, 1851, the cherokee nation founded the cherokee national female seminary at tahlequah, the same year that it opened a male seminary in its territory. this was after its removal to indian territory and part of its building institutions to support its future. on march 6, 1909, after statehood, the state legislature of oklahoma passed an act providing for the creation and location of northeastern state normal school at tahlequah, oklahoma 
Buildings_and_structures_in_Cherokee_County,_Oklahoma Education_in_Cherokee_County,_Oklahoma Education_in_Muskogee_County,_Oklahoma Education_in_Tulsa_County,_Oklahoma Educational_institutions_established_in_1851 North_Central_Association_of_Colleges_and_Schools Optometry_schools_in_the_United_States Universities_and_colleges_in_Oklahoma