North Dakota State University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Former names	North Dakota Agricultural College (1890–1960)
Type	Public land-grant research university
Established	1890; 135 years ago (1890)
Parent institution	North Dakota University System
Accreditation	HLC
Endowment	$457 million (2021)
President	David J. Cook
Provost	David Bertolini (interim)
Academic staff	858
Administrative staff	1,720
Students	12,242
Location	Fargo , North Dakota , United States 46°53′30″N 96°48′00″W / 46.8917°N 96.8000°W / 46.8917; -96.8000
Campus	Urban – Fargo Campus: 258 acres (1.04 km2)
Colors	Green and Yellow
Nickname	Bison ("Thundering Herd")
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I Summit League Missouri Valley Football Conference Big 12
Mascot	Thundar

North Dakota State University (NDSU) is a large public university in Fargo, North Dakota. It is known as a land-grant school, which means it was given land by the government to focus on agriculture and engineering. NDSU is also a research university, meaning it does a lot of important scientific studies.

The university started as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890. Today, NDSU offers many different programs. Students can choose from 94 undergraduate majors and 87 master's degree programs. It is recognized as a top research university with "Very High Research Activity." NDSU is a big part of the North Dakota University System. It also runs several agricultural research centers across the state.

Discovering NDSU's Past: A Look at Its History

How NDSU Began: The 1800s

The idea for North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC) started in 1883. North Dakota became a state in 1889. Just one year later, on March 8, 1890, the bill to create NDAC was signed. This made it North Dakota's official land-grant school.

The first president, Horace E. Stockbridge, started in October 1890. Classes began on September 8, 1891, in rented rooms. The first building on campus, College Hall (now called Old Main), was finished in 1892.

Growing Strong: The 1900s

In 1908, the school's song, "The Yellow and The Green," was written. The next year, yellow and green became the official school colors.

NDAC kept growing and offering more subjects. Because of this, its name changed to North Dakota State University on November 8, 1960. This new name showed that the school taught more than just agriculture. In 1986, twelve historic buildings on campus were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Modern NDSU: The 2000s and Beyond

The early 2000s brought a lot of growth to NDSU. In 2000, over 10,000 students attended for the first time. By 2009, enrollment grew to 14,189 students. This growth helped research, sports, and campus buildings.

Many new study programs were added. Several buildings were built or updated, like the Wallman Wellness Center. In 2004, all NDSU sports teams moved up to Division I. In 2023, the university planned to combine some colleges to save money. They also plan to create new majors for future job needs.

Exploring the NDSU Campuses

Old Main at NDSU.

Ceres Hall on the southern area of campus.

Entrance to College of Engineering

The A. Glenn Hill Center at NDSU.

NDSU Wallman Wellness Center from the South.

Richard H. Barry Hall in Downtown Fargo.

North Dakota State University has several locations. Its main campus is in Fargo, North Dakota. There are also buildings downtown and agricultural research centers across the state.

The Main Campus: A Closer Look

The main campus covers 258 acres and has over 100 buildings. The university's agriculture programs help keep the campus looking nice. The campus is bordered by 19th Avenue N. to the north, University Drive to the east, 18th St. N. to the west, and 12th Avenue N. to the south.

A special spot called the Babbling Brook is in the Minard–South Engineering quad. It has waterfalls, fish, and flowers. There's also an amphitheater for outdoor classes and small shows.

Southern Area Buildings

This part of campus has many of NDSU's oldest and most historic buildings.

Central Campus Hub

The central area includes the Engineering Complex and many academic buildings. The Memorial Union is also here. It's a place for students to relax and meet. It has rooms for presentations and events. Some skyways connect the Union to other buildings, making it easy to get around in bad weather. The A. Glenn Hill Center, a STEM building, is also in this area.

Northern Campus Living

North of the central area are many academic buildings, dorms, and dining halls. Four tall residential buildings stand out here. They are surrounded by green spaces, volleyball, and basketball courts. A dining center serves over 1,000 residents in these high-rises. Tunnels connect the towers for easy travel. Another dining center serves other nearby dorms. Catherine Cater hall, a coed dorm, opened in 2019.

Western Campus Wellness

The NDSU Wallman Wellness Center is in this area. It has the Wellness Center, Student Health Service, and Disability Services. The Wellness Center opened in 2001 and expanded in 2007. In 2016, an aquatic addition was built with a lap pool and a relaxing pool. Mathew Living Learning Center (MLLC) East and West are coed dorms for upper-level students.

Athletic Facilities Zone

Further north is the athletic area. It has many sports facilities like the Scheels Center and the Fargodome. In 2022, NDSU opened a new $54 million practice facility for the football team. This complex also has facilities for golf, soccer, baseball, and track & field.

The Sanford Health Athletic Complex (SHAC) is home to the Scheels Center. It also has offices for athletic departments. The SHAC was a $50 million renovation completed in 2016. Wrestling and basketball games are held here. The SHAC also has the NDSU athletics hall of fame. Next to the SHAC are the Shelly Ellig Indoor Track and Field Facility and Dacotah Field. The Shelly Ellig facility has an eight-lane track. Dacotah Field, built in 1938, has a climate-controlled bubble in winter for practice.

Research and Technology Park

The Research and Technology Park is a 55-acre area northwest of the main campus. It has offices and labs for research. Companies here study things like nano technologies, RFID, and polymers. The Technology Incubator opened in 2007. It helps new companies get started.

NDSU Downtown: City Presence

NDSU has several buildings in downtown Fargo. About 4,000 students, teachers, and staff use these facilities each year. The project started in 2004 with the purchase of the Northern School Supply building. This building is now Renaissance Hall. It houses NDSU's visual arts and architecture departments. It also has the office for Tri-College University, a partnership with other local colleges.

In 2006, NDSU bought more buildings downtown. The refurbished Pioneer building is now Richard H. Barry Hall. It is home to the NDSU College of Business. This downtown location helps the college work with local businesses. Klai Hall houses the landscape architecture program.

Agricultural Research Centers: Across the State

NDSU has many research centers throughout North Dakota. These centers cover over 18,488 acres in total. Major centers are located near Carrington, Casselton, Dickinson, Fargo, Hettinger, Langdon, Minot, Streeter, and Williston.

Academics at NDSU

Sugihara Hall at NDSU. Offices and departments include Chemistry & and Earth Sciences.

South Engineering Building on a spring afternoon.

North Dakota State University is organized into several colleges:

• Arts and Sciences
• Engineering
• Health Professions and Human Sciences
• Business
• Agriculture, Food Systems & Natural Resources

NDSU offers a "University Studies" major. This allows students to create their own study plan based on their interests. To help students learn, NDSU offers online classes and uses technology in its classrooms. The university uses a semester system, with Fall and Spring semesters and two summer sessions. Most students attend full-time. In 2022, about 49% of students were male and 51% were female.

How to Get In: NDSU Admissions

In 2022, NDSU accepted 91.6% of students who applied. Admitted students had an average GPA of 3.47. NDSU does not require ACT or SAT scores for admission. However, for those who submit scores, the average SAT score was 1170 and the average ACT score was 24.

NDSU's Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranked NDSU among the top universities for helping students from all backgrounds succeed. The university's engineering programs were ranked 165th among those offering doctoral degrees.

University Libraries

NDSU libraries have about 1 million physical items. They also offer access to many online resources. There is a main library and special libraries for subjects like architecture, business, and health sciences.

Research at NDSU

NDSU is known as a "Very High Research Activity" university. It is a key part of the Red River Valley Research Corridor. In 2017, NDSU was ranked among the top 100 research universities for agricultural sciences and social sciences.

The National Science Foundation says NDSU is the largest research institution in North Dakota. NDSU spends over $150 million on research each year. Important research areas include nanotechnology, agriculture, and chemistry. The university also has a 55-acre Research and Technology Park.

Go Bison! NDSU Athletics

NDSU's sports teams are known as the North Dakota State Bison

NDSU's sports teams are called the North Dakota State Bison. They are also known as "The Thundering Herd." Their symbol is a bison.

NDSU's teams play in NCAA Division I. The football team plays in the Division I Championship Subdivision. NDSU moved to Division I in 2004. The school joined the Summit League in 2007. The football team joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2008. NDSU wrestling joined the Big 12 Conference in 2015.

Football Success

The NDSU football team has won many national championships. In 2015, they won their fifth straight NCAA Division I FCS national championship. No other football team in modern NCAA history has done this. They won again in 2017, 2018, and 2019. After a short break, they won again in 2021. As of 2021, NDSU has the most NCAA FCS football championships.

In 2016, the Bison upset the No. 13 Iowa Hawkeyes. This was their sixth straight win against a team from a higher division.

Basketball Achievements

The women's basketball team won five NCAA National Championships in the 1990s. The NCAA recognized their four straight championships (1993–1996) as a top moment in NCAA history.

The men's basketball team made it to the NCAA tournament in 2009, 2015, and 2019. In 2009, they won the Summit League Tournament. In 2019, they won a "First Four" game before losing to Duke. The 2020 men's team won their conference tournament but could not play in the NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other Sports and Teams

The NDSU Bison dance team won national championships in 2012 and 2013. Amy Olson, a women's golf team member, set an NCAA record for most career match victories.

Student Life at NDSU

Residence Dining Center

Entrance to Bison Court, one of the University Apartments

Campus Media

Thunder Radio is NDSU's radio station, broadcasting on 96.3 FM. The Bison Information Network is a student-run TV station. It covers student and sports news.

Student Publications

The Spectrum is NDSU's student newspaper. It has been printed since 1896. Bison Illustrated is a magazine about NDSU sports. NDSU magazine is for alumni and friends of the university. "Northern Eclecta" is a literary journal created by students. It features creative writing and art from NDSU students and local middle and high school students.

Performing Arts

The Division of Performing Arts has four performance spaces:

• Festival Concert Hall – A large hall with 1,000 seats. It hosts NDSU music groups and the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony.
• Beckwith Recital Hall – A smaller hall with 200 seats. It's used for classes and small performances.
• Askanase Auditorium – A theater with 380 seats. Theatre NDSU uses it for most of their plays.
• Walsh Studio Theatre – A flexible "black box" theater inside Askanase Hall.

NDSU's Gold Star Marching Band performs at Bison football games in the Fargodome.

Living on Campus: Residence Life

The university has 13 residence halls and four apartment complexes on campus. All first-year students must live in a dorm on campus.

The Memorial Union: Student Hub

The Memorial Union was finished in 1953. It first had a ballroom and dining center. In 2005, it had a big expansion and update. Today, it has three floors. The main floor has the NDSU Bookstore, a Caribou Coffee, and a US Bank branch. The second floor has a ballroom and meeting rooms. The basement has a dining center, food court, bowling alley, and an e-sports gaming lab.

Greek Life: Fraternities and Sororities

Greek life has been at NDSU since 1904. That's when the first social fraternity for men was formed. The first women's social fraternity started in 1908. As of 2023, about 1,000 students are part of Greek life. NDSU has fifteen national fraternities and sororities.

Famous NDSU Alumni

Images for kids

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  NDSU seal

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  NDSU wordmark

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Estatal de Dakota del Norte para niños