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Former name | Dakota Agriculture College (1881–1904) South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (1904–1964) |
|---|---|
| Type | Publicland-grantresearch university |
| Established | February 21,1881; 144 years ago (February 21,1881)[1] |
Parent institution | South Dakota Board of Regents |
| Accreditation | HLC |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $213 million (2021)[2] |
| Budget | $308 million (FY2022)[3] |
| President | Barry H. Dunn |
| Provost | Dennis Hedge |
Academic staff | 622.81 (2021-2022)[3] |
Total staff | 2,034.41 (FTE)[3] |
| Students | 12,139 (Fall 2025)[3] |
| Undergraduates | 10,728[3] |
| Postgraduates | 1,337[3] |
Other students | 342 (professional)[3] |
| Location | ,, United States 44°19′05″N96°47′00″W / 44.31806°N 96.78333°W /44.31806; -96.78333 |
| Campus | Remote town[4], 400.69 acres (162.15 ha)[3] |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Collegian |
| Colors | Yellow and blue[5] |
| Nickname | Jackrabbits |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot | Jack the Jackrabbit |
| Website | sdstate.edu |
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South Dakota State University (SDSU orSD State) is apublicland-grantresearch university inBrookings, South Dakota, United States. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest university and is the second oldest continually operating university in the state.[6] The university is governed by theSouth Dakota Board of Regents.
South Dakota State University is a land-grant university founded under the provisions of the 1862Morrill Act. This land-grant heritage and mission has led the university to place a special focus on academic programs in agriculture, engineering, nursing, and pharmacy, as well as liberal arts. It isclassified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The graduate program is classified as Doctoral, Science, Technology, Engineering, Math dominant.[7]
The university was founded in theDakota Territory on February 21, 1881, asDakota Agriculture College. The first building, with funding from the territorial legislature, was built in 1883, six years before the State of South Dakota was formed. Numerous expansions were funded in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The name was changed in 1904 toSouth Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1964, the name was changed toSouth Dakota State University. The name change was largely promoted by the Alumni Association. Initiated in 1962, this name change reflected the more comprehensive education offered at the university.[8]
In 1923, SDSU's instructional program was organized under five divisions: Agriculture, Engineering, General Science, Home Economics, and Pharmacy. In 1956, a Nursing program was established, and in 1957 a formal graduate school was formed. When the university changed its name in 1964, the colleges were renamed Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Home Economics, Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Graduate School. In 1974, the College of General Registration (now the College of General Studies) was formed. In 1975, the Division of Education was created. An Honors College was formed in 1999. Two colleges and seven departments combined in 2009 to create the College of Education and Human Sciences.
In 2016, Barry H. Dunn became the 20th President of South Dakota State University.[9]
In 2017, the colleges which make up the university were revised and in some cases renamed to the following: College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Education and Human Sciences; College of Nursing; College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions; Graduate School; Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering; University College; and Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College.
On April 22, 2025, the United States'Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced it would be canceling over $86 million in research funding from theDepartment of Agriculture (USDA) that had been designated for South Dakota State University.[10][11]
TheHilton M. Briggs Library consists of more than 635,000 bound volumes, 315,000 government documents, 79,000 maps, and 1,800 journal titles (with 28,000 additional titles available online). Within the Briggs Library is theDaschle Research Library dedicated to former U.S. Senate Majority LeaderTom Daschle (SDSU BA 1969), which houses hisCongressional papers.
SDSU awardsassociate degrees,bachelor's degrees,master's degrees, anddoctoral degrees. The university provides 200 fields of study. The university's colleges and schools include College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Education and Human Sciences; College of Nursing; College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions; Graduate School; Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering; University College; and Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College.
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Forbes[12] | 471 |
| U.S. News & World Report[13] | 266 |
| Washington Monthly[14] | 281 |
| WSJ/College Pulse[15] | 501–600 |
| Global | |
| U.S. News & World Report[16] | 1446 |
For 2025,U.S. News and World Report rated South Dakota State University as the 149th Best Public University and the 266th Best National University overall.
SDSU has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA annually since 2009.
South Dakota State University became the nation's ninth Purple Heart Campus in 2018.
Several alumni from SDSU's Department of Political Science have served as elected officials, including U.S. SenatorMike Rounds and United States Secretary of Homeland SecurityKristi Noem. Perhaps the most notable of the program is former U.S. Senate Majority LeaderTom Daschle. Former U.S. RepresentativeStephanie Herseth has served as a professor of the program. Two alumni were chosen asTruman Scholars in 2004 and 2006.[17]
The Department of Military Science commissions officers into theUnited States Army andUnited States Air Force through theReserve Officers' Training Corps program.
Some graduates have become general officers, includingWilliam E. DePuy,Jake Krull,Raymond W. Carpenter,Franklin J. Blaisdell,Mark A. Clark.Medal of Honor recipientsLeo K. Thorsness andWillibald C. Bianchi attended the university.[citation needed]
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South Dakota State University currently ranks among the Midwest's top research universities, notably in the fields ofagricultural science,biological science, andengineering.[18] It is consistently listed inU.S. News & World Report's "Top 200 National Universities" in itscollege and university rankings.[18] The campus is also home to the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, a research and educational collaboration with United States Geological SurveyCenter for Earth Resources Observation and Science.[19][20] The GSCE focuses on basic and applied research in terrestrialremote sensing.[21] SDSU was recognized in 2017 by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy as the seventh most productive university in the US (and 27th globally) for remote sensing research for the period 2011–2015.[22]
The university operates the South Dakota state agricultural research stations around the state, such as theAntelope Range and Livestock Research Station nearBuffalo.The Great Plains Writers Conference is a venue for significant regional authors or writers interested in the Great Plains. It was instituted at SDSU in 1976 for writing scholarship.[23]
Alumni from the university's research community notable for scientific achievements include:
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86% | ||
| Hispanic | 3% | ||
| International student | 3% | ||
| Unknown | 3% | ||
| Two or more races | 2% | ||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1% | ||
| Asian | 1% | ||
| Black | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 19% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 81% | ||
The SDSU Marching Band, "The Pride of the Dakotas," given the special name the Millennium Band in 2000 by theSouth Dakota State Legislature, has marched in the 1981 and 1997 Presidential Inaugural Parades in Washington, D.C.; A Capital Fourth in 2000 in Washington, D.C.; the 2003 and 2008Tournament of Roses Parade inPasadena, California; and the Korean War Monument Dedication at the state's capitalPierre in 2004.[28] In 2022, the marching band performed in theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade[29] the same season they would perform at the FCS title game, seeing the football team win their first FCS National Championship.[30]
Thehomecoming celebration,Hobo Day, has been dubbed "The Biggest One-Day Event in the Dakotas."[31][failed verification]
South Dakota State participates in athletics as a member ofNCAA Division I, which they became an active member of starting at the beginning of the 2008–09 academic year. South Dakota State's athletic conference affiliations include theSummit League for 16 sports teams, theMissouri Valley Football Conference (Division I FCS), theBig 12 Conference (wrestling) and theNational Collegiate Equestrian Association.
The Jackrabbits have 19 varsity sports and numerous intramural and club teams. South Dakota State's athletic mascot for both the men's and women's teams is theJackrabbit, both the men's and women's sports teams are officially referred to as the Jackrabbits.
A 19,340-capacity stadium opened in the fall of 2016.
The Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center, located on the north end of the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, is the home of Jackrabbit football. It opened prior to the 2010 football season and houses an academic center equipped with study areas, computers, tutors, and other educational aids for all South Dakota State teams.
The Sanford Jackrabbit Athlete Complex, a state-of-the-art indoor practice and competition facility, opened October 11, 2014. It is immediately north of and attached to the Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center. The SJAC has bleacher seating for up to 1,000 spectators and can be used for track practice and track meets, football practice, softball and baseball practice, golf practice, and other events within the South Dakota State athletic department. It includes 149,284-square foot facility and features an eight-lane, 300-meter track, one of only five collegiate indoor tracks of that size in the nation.
FAIN NR233A750004G018
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