South Dakota State University (SDSU) has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1916 and underwent its most recent reaffirmation of accreditation in 2009-2010. SDSU was granted the full, ten-year reaccreditation and was commended for:
- Dedicated faculty and staff
- Quality new facilities
- Excellent student leadership
- Shared governance
- Partnerships with local community
- Robust and integrated assessment program
- Successful transition to NCAA Division I Athletics
Since that time, the University has been building on these areas of excellence and has begun the process of reaffirming HLC accreditation through the Open Pathway. SDSU is currently in the self-study phase of the reaccreditation process. Along with a 32-member steering committee, nine work groups with membership including 85 faculty members, staff, administrators and students are working on gathering evidence, writing the assurance argument, preparing the federal compliance materials, developing and implementing a communication plan and preparing for the site visit in November 2019.
| ACCREDITED PROGRAMS | ||||
| Accrediting Agency | Degree | Frequency | Last Decision | Next Visit |
Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET) | ||||
| Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering | ||||
| Computer Science | ||||
| Civil Engineering | ||||
| Electrical Engineering | ||||
| Mechanical Engineering | ||||
| Construction Management | ||||
| Operations Management | ||||
| Electronics Engineering Technology | ||||
| Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) | ||||
| Hospitality Management | BS | 7 years | 2016 | 2023 |
| Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) | ||||
| Pharmacy | Pharm D | 8 years | 2015 | 2023 |
| Accreditation Council for the Education of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) | ||||
| Dietetics | BS | 7 years | 2018 | 2025 |
| Dietetic Internship | NA | 3 years | 2015 | 2018 |
| Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (ACEJMC) | ||||
| Advertising | BA/BS | 6 years | 2018 | 2023 |
| Journalism | BA/BS | 6 years | 2018 | 2023 |
| Mass Communication | MMC | 6 years | 2018 | 2023 |
| Public Relations | BS | 6 years | 2018 | 2023 |
| American Association of Museums Accreditation Commission (AAM) | ||||
| South Dakota Art Museum | NA | 10 years | 2014 | 2024 |
| American Association of Veterinary Lab Diagnosticians (AAVLD) | ||||
| Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab | NA | 5 years | 2013 | 2018 |
| American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE) | ||||
| Agricultural Systems Technology | BS | 6 years | 2018 | 2024 |
| American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) | ||||
| Biochemistry | BS | 7 years | 2015 | 2022 |
| American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) | ||||
| Pharmacy - PGY1 Residency Program | Certificate | 3 years | 2018 | 2021 |
| Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) | ||||
| Aviation with Specialization in Aviation Education | BS | 5 years | 2018 | 2023 |
| Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) | ||||
| Athletic Training | BS | 10 years | 2010 | 2020-2021 |
| Athletic Training | MS | 10 years | 2012 | 2021-2022 |
| Commission on Accreditation of Programs in Applied and Clinical Sociology (CAPACS) | ||||
| Sociology | Ph.D. | 2 years | 2017 | 2019 |
| Commission on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES) | ||||
| Exercise Science | BS | 9 years | 2017 | 2026 |
| Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) | ||||
| Nursing | BS | 10 years | 2011 | 2021 |
| Nursing | MS | 10 years | 2011 | 2021 |
| Nursing | DNP | 10 years | 2016 | 2026 |
| Nursing- APRN Post-Graduate | Certificate | 10 years | 2016 | 2026 |
| Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) | ||||
| Interior Design | BS | 5 years | 2013 | 2019 |
| Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | ||||
| Counseling and Human Resource Development | MS | 7 years | 2017 | 2025 |
| Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) | ||||
| Teacher Education, Principal, and School Counselor | BA/BS MS M.Ed | 7 years | 2014 | 2019 |
| Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) | ||||
| Counseling and Human Resource Development Specialization in Counseling in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Setting | MS | 8 years | 2015 | 2023 |
| Higher Learning Commission (HLC) | ||||
| Institution | NA | 10 years | 2010 | 2019 |
| National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc (NAAB) | ||||
| Architecture | M.Arch. | 3 years | 2017 | 2019 |
| National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) | ||||
| Medical and Laboratory Sciences | BS | 10 years | 2016 | 2026 |
| National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) | ||||
| Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education | NA | 5 years | 2017 | 2022 |
| National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | ||||
| Music Education | BME | 10 years | 2010 | 2019-2020 |
| Music | BA | 10 years | 2010 | 2019-2020 |
| Society for Range Management (SRM) | ||||
| Rangeland Ecology and Management | BS | 10 years | 2016 | 2026 |
| Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) | ||||
| Nursing Healthcare Simulation Center | 5 years | 2018 | 2023 | |
CERTIFIED PROGRAMS | ||||
| American Chemical Society | ||||
| Chemistry | BS | 2016 | 2021 | |
| Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (formerly American Humanics) | ||||
| Leadership & Management of Non-Profit Organizations | Minor | 2003 | ||
| National Collegiate Honors Council | ||||
| Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College | 2018 | TBD | ||
| Department of the Army | ||||
| Army ROTC | 1 year | 2016 | 2017 | |
| College Reading and Learning Association | ||||
| Tutoring/Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program | 5 Years | 2016 | 2020 | |