Ness School to become Ness College at South Dakota State

The Ness College of Management and Economics will become South Dakota State University’s newest college on July 1, 2027.

The planned academic reorganization involves moving the current Ness School of Management and Economics from within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and elevating it to its own college, directly reporting to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dennis Hedge.

The move to a business college is driven by the significant growth of the Ness School of Management and Economics.

The Ness School has expanded its academic program portfolio to meet the workforce needs of the state of South Dakota, and its student headcount has steadily grown to a duplicated enrollment of 1,342 in fall 2026, nearly doubling in the past seven years.

“The Ness School has been built to address the greatest needs of businesses and industries in the state and region,” Hedge said. “A workforce provider and an economic catalyst, the Ness School, with its deep land-grant mission ties to our communities and key sectors such as agriculture and engineering, has emerged as a trusted choice for workforce talent and information to guide decision-making.”

The Ness School was established in July 2019, after receiving South Dakota Board of Regents approval to offer a bachelor’s degree in business economics in October 2017 and completing the renovation of Harding Hall in August 2018.

The regents authorized SDSU to offer a bachelor’s degree in accounting in June 2024, and operations management and consumer behavior programs were moved to the Ness School a month later.

Then in 2025, SDSU obtained authorization to offer a bachelor’s degree in finance, and the university successfully attained accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, an effort that started in 2011. That accreditation is recognized as the highest level of excellence a business school can achieve.

Joe Santos, director of the Ness School of Management and Economics, expects college status to give the school a stronger voice on economic questions in South Dakota and beyond.

“At Ness, we study how people and organizations weigh trade-offs, analyze evidence and decide well under risk and uncertainty. Where markets fall short, we ask how institutions and policy can respond. As a college, we will put that knowledge to work in boardrooms, classrooms, new ventures, farms, hospitals, statehouses, Washington, public forums and wherever better evidence can yield better decisions,” Santos said.

Projection models suggest that Ness School student enrollment will continue to grow.

“Our students, our state and our region need us to shape the future of business, just as we have in agriculture, engineering and our health professions,” Hedge added. “It’s now time for us to take our next bold steps, building something even greater for the next generations of Jackrabbits and to best serve the state of South Dakota and the surrounding region.”