South Dakota State University facts for kids
 |
|
|
Former name
|
Dakota Agriculture College (1881–1904) South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (1904–1964) |
|---|---|
| Type | Public land-grant research university |
| Established | February 21,1881 |
|
Parent institution
|
South Dakota Board of Regents |
| Accreditation | HLC |
|
Academic affiliations
|
|
| Endowment | $213 million (2021) |
| Budget | $308 million (FY2022) |
| President | Barry H. Dunn |
| Provost | Dennis Hedge |
|
Academic staff
|
622.81 (2021-2022) |
|
Total staff
|
2,034.41 (FTE) |
| Students | 12,065 |
| Undergraduates | 10,728 |
| Postgraduates | 1,337 |
|
Other students
|
342 (professional) |
| Location |
,
,
United States
44°19′05″N 96°47′00″W / 44.31806°N 96.78333°W |
| Campus | Remote town, 400.69 acres (162.15 ha) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Collegian |
| Colors | Yellow and blue |
| Nickname | Jackrabbits |
|
Sporting affiliations
|
|
| Mascot | Jack the Jackrabbit |
 |
|
South Dakota State University (often called SDSU or SD State) is a big public university in Brookings, South Dakota. It was started in 1881. It's the largest university in South Dakota and the second oldest one that's still open. The university is managed by the South Dakota Board of Regents.
SDSU is a special kind of university called a "land-grant" university. This means it was created with help from a law called the Morrill Act of 1862. Because of this, SDSU focuses a lot on subjects like farming (agriculture), engineering, nursing, and pharmacy. It also teaches many other subjects in the arts and sciences. It's known for having "high research activity," which means its students and teachers do a lot of important research.
Contents
University History
South Dakota State University began on February 21, 1881. Back then, it was called Dakota Agriculture College. The first building was built in 1883, even before South Dakota became a state! Over the years, more buildings were added.
In 1904, the name changed to South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Then, in 1964, it became South Dakota State University. This new name showed that the university offered many more types of education, not just farming and mechanics.
Over time, SDSU added many different study areas. In 1923, it had five main parts: Agriculture, Engineering, General Science, Home Economics, and Pharmacy. A Nursing program started in 1956, and a special school for advanced degrees (graduate school) began in 1957.
In 2016, Barry H. Dunn became the 20th President of South Dakota State University. In 2017, the university updated its colleges, giving some new names. For example, there's now a College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
In April 2025, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency announced that some research funding for SDSU from the Department of Agriculture was canceled. This funding was worth over $86 million.
Campus Life and Buildings
Main Campus Features
The Hilton M. Briggs Library is a huge library at SDSU. It has over 635,000 books, plus many government documents and maps. You can also find thousands of online journals there. Inside this library is the Daschle Research Library. This special section holds all the important papers from former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who graduated from SDSU in 1969.
What Students Study
SDSU offers many different types of degrees, from associate degrees (two-year programs) to bachelor's, master's, and even doctoral degrees (the highest level). Students can choose from 200 different subjects to study!
The university has several colleges and schools, including:
- 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
- Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College
University Recognition
| USNWR National University | 266 |
|---|---|
| Washington Monthly National University | 281 |
| Forbes | 471 |
For 2025, U.S. News and World Report ranked South Dakota State University as the 149th Best Public University in the country. It was also ranked as the 266th Best National University overall.
SDSU has been recognized as a "Tree Campus USA" every year since 2009. This means it takes good care of its trees and green spaces. In 2018, South Dakota State University also became the ninth "Purple Heart Campus" in the nation, honoring military veterans.
Political Science Department
Tom Daschle
Mike Rounds
Kristi Noem
Many students who studied Political Science at SDSU have become important leaders. These include U.S. Senator Mike Rounds and United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. One of the most famous is former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Also, former U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth has taught in the program.
Military Science Department
The Department of Military Science helps students become officers in the United States Army and United States Air Force. This happens through a program called Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).
Some graduates from this department have become high-ranking generals. Two students who attended the university, Leo K. Thorsness and Willibald C. Bianchi, even received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest military award for bravery.
Leo Thorsness
Willibald C. Bianchi
.jpg)
William E. DePuy
Research and Discoveries
South Dakota State University is a top research university in the Midwest. It's especially known for its work in farming science, biology, and engineering. U.S. News & World Report often lists it among the "Top 200 National Universities" for its research.
The campus is also home to the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence. This center works with the United States Geological Survey to study Earth using remote sensing (like satellites). SDSU was recognized in 2017 as one of the most productive universities in the U.S. for remote sensing research.
The university also runs state agricultural research stations around South Dakota. These stations help improve farming and livestock. The Great Plains Writers Conference, started in 1976, is a place where important writers from the Great Plains region share their work.
- Some cool inventions and discoveries by SDSU alumni:
-
Stephen Foster Briggs invented the Briggs & Stratton engine in 1906 while he was a student!
-
Gene Amdahl was the main designer of the IBM 360 computer in 1964.
-
The first place in the U.S. to make ethanol fuel was at SDSU in 1979.
Here are some famous scientists and inventors who went to SDSU:
- Stephen Foster Briggs: He invented the Briggs & Stratton engine, which is used in many lawnmowers and other machines.
- Theodore Schultz: He won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979 for his work on how education and health affect economic growth.
- Gene Amdahl: He helped create the famous IBM 360 computer and other important computers. He also came up with "Amdahl's Law," which is about how fast computers can work.
- Aelred Kurtenbach and Duane Sander: These electrical engineering professors started a company called Daktronics, Inc., which makes big electronic displays and scoreboards.
Student Life and Traditions
| 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 | 19% |
|
|
| Affluent | 81% |
|
|
The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band
The SDSU Marching Band is called "The Pride of the Dakotas." It's so good that the South Dakota State Legislature even gave it the special name "Millennium Band" in 2000!
The band has performed in many big events. They marched in Presidential Inaugural Parades in Washington, D.C., in 1981 and 1997. They also performed in the famous Tournament of Roses Parade in California in 2003 and 2008. In 2022, they performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and also at the FCS football championship game, where the football team won their first national title!
Hobo Day Homecoming
The university's homecoming celebration is called Hobo Day. It's known as "The Biggest One-Day Event in the Dakotas." It's a fun tradition for students and alumni.
Sports and Athletics
South Dakota State has many sports teams that compete in NCAA Division I. They became a full member of Division I in the 2008–09 school year. Their teams play in different sports leagues, like the Summit League for most sports and the Missouri Valley Football Conference for football. The wrestling team competes in the Big 12 Conference.
The university has 19 different varsity sports teams, plus many intramural and club teams where students can play for fun. The mascot for all SDSU sports teams is the Jackrabbit, and the teams are officially called the Jackrabbits.
Sports Facilities
The Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium is a large stadium that opened in 2016. It can hold over 19,000 fans for football games.
The Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center is located at the north end of the stadium. It opened in 2010 and is where the Jackrabbit football team trains. It also has an academic center with study areas, computers, and tutors to help all SDSU athletes with their schoolwork.
The Sanford Jackrabbit Athlete Complex (SJAC) is a modern indoor practice and competition building. It opened in October 2014 and is right next to the Stiegelmeier Center. The SJAC is huge, with an eight-lane, 300-meter track. It's one of only five college indoor tracks of that size in the whole country! It can be used for track meets, football practice, baseball, softball, golf, and other athletic events.
Famous People Who Went to SDSU
Many successful people have graduated from South Dakota State University. Some of them are mentioned in the sections above, like politicians and scientists.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Estatal de Dakota del Sur para niños
