Skip to main content
Site navigation

Image for University Facts

Office of the President

University Facts

Jump to the following sections on this page:

About SDSU | Students | Faculty and Staff | Alumni | Campus | Research | SDSU Extension | South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station | South Dakota Board of Regents | SDSU Executive Officers

About SDSU

South Dakota State University is the state’s largest, most comprehensive higher-education institution. As South Dakota’s Morrill Act land-grant university, SDSU had a fall 2021 enrollment of 11,465, with students coming from 47 states and 66 countries. Students can choose from 86 majors, 38 specializations, 101 minors, 37 master’s degree programs, 16 Ph.D. programs and two professional doctorates. The university also offers courses at various off-campus sites as well as undergraduate and graduate programs online through the Office of Continuing and Distance Education. 

Colleges
University Authorization

A public, land-grant institution, SDSU was founded in 1881, authorized by the Dakota Territorial Legislature and is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. The South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station at SDSU was established and linked to the university in 1887 under the federal Hatch Act to conduct research that “concerns agriculture and the home.” In 1914, SDSU Extension was added by the Smith-Lever Act to “provide information to the people of the State.” Both the Agricultural Experiment Station and SDSU Extension are administered by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. 

Jackrabbit Athletics

The SDSU Jackrabbits compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level in all sports, including the Football Championship Subdivision. Jackrabbits teams play in The Summit League, with the exception of football, wrestling and equestrian. SDSU is a member of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association, the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Big XII Conference as an affiliate member for wrestling. 

Community at a Glance

Named by Your Local Security as the safest campus in South Dakota (2019–21), Brookings (pop. 23,938) is just 55 miles north of Sioux Falls on Interstate 29,200 miles from Minneapolis and 400 miles east of Rapid City and the Black Hills. Students from communities in Nebraska, North Dakota and Iowa also find SDSU within an easy day’s drive. 

Students

Enrollment - Fall 2021

Total Enrollment - 11,465

Fall 2021 enrollment showed the incoming first-time freshmen class recorded an average high school GPA of 3.5, and 37.2% of the class registered scores of 24 or higher on the ACT.

Enrollment By Level
Undergraduate9,71785%
Graduate1,40612%
Professional3423%
Total11,465100%
Gender
Female6,40455.9%
Male5,04644%
Not Reported150.1%
Total11,465100%
Race/Ethnicity
Nonresident Alien5895.1%
Hispanic/Latino2942.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native1301.1%
Asian1341.2%
Black or African American2071.8%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander50.1%
White9,67784.4%
Two or More Races2352.0%
Race and ethnicity unknown1941.7%
Total11,465100%
Residency
South Dakota Residents6,33055.2%
Other States4,54639.7%
International5895.1%
Total11,465100%
Enrollment Breakdown - Fall 2021
Enrollment by Area
Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences1,57513.7%
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences2,02417.7%
Education and Human Sciences[2]2,77524.2%
Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering1,32411.6%
Natural Sciences6595.7%
Nursing[3]1,20210.5%
Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions[4]5214.5%
Graduate School1,38512.1%
Total11,465100%

Notes

  1. Unduplicated headcount with multiple majors being prorated
  2. Includes nondegree-seeking students [↵2]
  3. Includes Doctor of Nursing Practice [↵3]
  4. Includes Doctor of Pharmacy [↵4]
Student General Information
General Information
Student : Faculty Ratio FY 202018.9 : 1
Graduate Student Assistants (Fall 2020)452
Retention Rate
(Fall 2020  bachelor's cohort)		79.9%
Graduates - 2020–2021
Graduates By Degree Type
Associate degrees913.8%
Bachelor's degrees1,85077.4%
Master's degree31413.1%
Doctor of Philosophy582.4%
Doctor of Pharmacy/Doctor of Nursing Practice783.3%
Total2,523100%
Financial Aid for New Students - 2020–2021
Full-time, First-year Students
Full-time, First-year Students2,023
Percent receiving financial aid94.02%
Average award (including loans)$11,059
Percent receiving institutional scholarships70.29%
Average scholarship award$2,996
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
New recipients (Fall 2020)412
Total number of recipients (Fall 2020)1,386
Average Award
Graduate and Undergraduate$11,434
Estimated Costs of Attendance - 2021–2022
Undergraduate, Resident (30 credits)
Tuition and Fees$9,299
Room and Board$7,240
Undergraduate, Nonresident (30 credits)
Tuition and Fees$12,809
Room and Board$7,240
Graduate, Resident (24 credits)
Tuition and Fees$9,384
Graduate, Nonresident (24 credits)
Tuition and Fees$16,918
Graduate Assistant (24 credits)
Tuition and Fees$1,220

Faculty & Staff

Full-Time Equivalent Employees - 2021–2022
Employees Numbers
Faculty622.81
Administration71.92
Professional698.41
Support Staff641.27
Total2,034.41
Rank of Faculty (Full Time, Permanent) - Fall 2020
Faculty Rank
Professor145
Associate Professor111
Assistant Professor119
Instructor75
Lecturer80
Total530

Alumni

Graduates
Graduate Numbers
Total Graduates (Through May 2021)86,105
Alumni Living in South Dakota41,279
Alumni living in USA but not South Dakota43,943
Alumni living out of USA883

Campus

Physical Plant - FY2022
Physical Plant Stats
Central campus location (maintained)400.69 acres
Additional acres, including 6 research farms10,442.21 acres
Buildings161
Building space maintained4,132,082 sq. ft.
Replacement value of buildings$1,183,558,994
Residence hall capacity (Fall 2020)4,488 students
SDSU Foundation (Calendar Year 2020)
SDSU Foundation expenditures
Expenditures to support university programs$26,168,235
Expenditures per student FTE - Fall 2020$2,829.45
Operating Budget Authority By Agency - FY2022
Operating Budget
University Proper$249,220,66581%
Agriculture Experiment Station$40,394,49213%
SDSU Extension$18,500,6136%
Total$308,115,770100%

Operating Budget, University Proper=$252,525,281 or 81%, SDSU Extension=$18,550,690 or 6%, Agriculture Experiment Statation=$40,072,423 or 13%

Operating Budget Authority - FY2022
Operating Budget Breakdown
Instructional Support$142,605,89746.2%
Research (including AES)$54,023,02217.5%
Public Service (including SDSU Extension)$30,163,2189.8%
Institutional Support$23,589,9797.7%
Operations and Maintenance of Plant$29,899,3609.7%
Scholarships and Fellowships$5,145,3971.7%
Auxiliary Enterprises (Res. Life, Food Service, Bookstore)$22,679,8977.4%
Total$308,115,770100%
Operating Budget Authority By Source of Funds - FY2022
Source of Funds
State Funds$75,985,69725%
Student Tuition & Fees$101,807,63533%
Federal Grants & Contracts/Fed Appropriations$41,386,24613%
Room & Board$17,735,0706%
Other Funds Including General Sales of
Commodities & Services		$71,201,12223%
Total$308,115,770100%

Research

The Division of Research and Economic Development works closely with university researchers, business leaders and other sponsors to promote faculty expertise aimed at solving real-world problems in society and industry. The university has positioned itself as a leader in agriculture and precision agriculture, remote sensing and life sciences. The research enterprise also capitalizes on expertise in digital technology related to agriculture and resource management.

Total Research Expenditures — FY2021 - $51,539,655.01

Research Highlights

  • 1,618 graduate students, most of whom are engaged in faculty research, are enrolled in 37 master’s degree programs, 16 doctoral programs and two professional programs in seven colleges.

  • Faculty provide scientific leadership in three state research centers: the Center for Drug, Disease and Delivery; the Center for Biologics Research and Commercialization; and Biosystems Networks and Translational Research (BioSNTR). In addition, SDSU researchers play a key role in the South Dakota Biofilm Science and Engineering Center, the South Dakota Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and the South Dakota Center for Understanding and Disrupting the Illicit Economy.

  • SDSU is home to the North Central Regional Sun Grant Center, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence and the Ethel Austin Martin Program in Human Nutrition.

  • POET Bioproducts Institute, located in the Research Park at South Dakota State University, will bring together researchers from SDSU and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and industry partners to transition bench scale research in bioprocessing and bioproducts to the marketplace. The lab will focus on biomaterials and specialty animal feeds.

  • Precision agriculture brings together researchers from computer science, statistics, engineering, remote sensing and agriculture, as well as industry partners to increase the profitability and sustainability of agriculture.

  • Undergraduate students are encouraged to get involved in research through the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Day, the South Dakota Legislative Poster Session, and through the Journal of Undergraduate Research. Students in the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College conduct original research as part of their graduation requirements.

SDSU Extension

SDSU Extension

South Dakota State University is home to SDSU Extension, the outreach arm for South Dakota’s 1862 land-grant university. SDSU Extension provides unbiased, scientific knowledge and innovative educational strategies to the citizens of South Dakota. Core educational programs are offered in the areas of:

  • Competitive Crop Systems
  • Competitive Livestock Systems
  • 4-H Youth Development
  • Community Development
  • Food and Families
  • Rural and Urban Initiatives
  • Native American Outreach

SDSU Extension faculty, field specialists and 4-H youth program advisers are based on the campus of SDSU, at SDSU West River Research and Extension in Rapid City, at one of our SDSU Extension Regional Centers (Aberdeen, Lemmon, Mitchell, Pierre, Sioux Falls, Watertown or Winner), at one of the tribal extension offices on the Rosebud, Pine Ridge or Cheyenne River Indian Reservations or at county extension offices throughout the state. The virtual office of SDSU Extension can be accessed at SDSU Extension.

SDSU Extension Operation Budget Authority, FY 2022
Operation Budget of SDSU Extension
State Funds$9,161,19249%
Federal Funds$6,816,73837%
Other/Local Funds$2,522,68314%
Total$18,500,613100%

Extension Budget, Other/Local Funds=$2,493,407 or 14%, State Funds=$8,8,838,210 or 48%, Federal Funds=$7,219,073 or 39%

SDSU Extension Stats
Number of Regional Extension Centers8
Number of Field Specialists42.45 FTE

South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station

Agricultural Experiment Station

South Dakota State University is home to the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Faculty scientists carry out research on campus and at seven stations strategically located across the state. New discoveries are made available to the people of South Dakota, commodity groups and industry through the educational programs of SDSU Extension. Agricultural Experiment Station research programs directly support student education in the colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences;Natural Sciences;Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and Education and Human Sciences. 

Seventy-two percent of the S.D. Agricultural Experiment Station resources are directed to five critical issues that are vital for South Dakota and the region:

  • Regenerative Livestock Systems (18%);
  • Regenerative Agronomic Systems (21%);
  • Natural Resources and Environmental Systems (14%);
  • Food Systems, Nutrition, Health and Well-Being (9%); and
  • Family Youth and Communities (9%).
Agricultural Experiment Station Operating Budget Authority, FY 2022
Operating Budget of Agricultural Experiment Station
State Funds$13,757,44634%
Federal Funds$11,345,32328%
Other / Local Funds$15,291,72338%
Total$40,394,492100%

Operating Budget for Agricultural Experiment Station, Other/Local Funds=$15,596,428 or 39%, State Funds=$12,958,651 or 52%, Federal Funds=$11,517,344 or 29%

South Dakota Board of Regents

Board of Regents
  • Brian Maher, Executive Director
  • John W. Bastian, President
  • Pam Roberts, Vice President
  • Jim Thares, Secretary
  • Joan Wink
  • Barb Stork
  • Tony Vanhuizen
  • Jeff Partridge
  • Tim Rave
  • Brock Brown, Student Regent

SDSU Executive Officers

Executive Officers
  • Barry H. Dunn, Ph.D., President
  • Dennis Hedge, Pharm.D.
    Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Michaela Willis, Ph.D.
    Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
  • Tracy Greene, J.D.
    Vice President and General Counsel
    Vice President, Human Resources
  • Mike Holbeck, Ph.D.
    Vice President, Finance and Budget
  • David Overby
    Vice President for Technology and Safety
  • Daniel Scholl, DVM, Ph.D.,
    Vice President for Research and Economic Development
  • Karyn Weber, Chief of Staff