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 2018 enrollment of 12,107, with students coming from every state and 83 countries. Students can choose from 82 majors, 35 specializations, 94 minors, 36 master’s degree programs, 15 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
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
College of Education and Human Sciences
College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions
- 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 .
- 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 Safewise as the safest college town in America in 2016, 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 2018
Total Enrollment - 12,107
Fall 2018 enrollment showed the incoming first-time freshmen class recorded an average high school GPA of 3.4. More than 42 percent of the class registered scores of 24 or higher on the ACT.
Enrollment By Level
Undergraduate 10,390 86% Graduate 1,329 11% Professional 388 3% Total 12,107 100% Gender
Female 6,511 54% Male 5,596 46% Total 12,107 100% Race/Ethnicity
Nonresident 810 6.7% Hispanic/Latino 314 2.6% American Indian or Alaska Native 132 1.1% Asian 141 1.1% Black or African American 253 2.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 9 0.1% White 10,121 83.6% Two or More Races 263 2.2%
Race and ethnicity unknown 64 0.5% Total 12,107 100% Residency
South Dakota Residents 6,551 54% Other States 4,746 39% International 810 7% Total 12,107 100% - Enrollment Breakdown - Fall 2018
Academic Affairs 1,217 10.1% Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences 1,810 15.0% Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 2,065 17.0% Education and Human Sciences 1,635 13.5% Jerome J Lohr College of Engineering 1,500 12.4% Natural Sciences 646 5.3% Nursing 1,330 11.0% Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions 606 5.0% Graduate School 1,298 10.7% Total 12,107 100% - Student General Information
Student : Faculty Ratio FY 2017 18.2 : 1 Graduate Student Assistants (Fall 2017) 549 Retention Rate (Fall 2017 FT FT bachelor's cohort) 75.9% - Graduates -- 2017-2018
Associate degrees 68 2.6% Bachelor's degrees 1,985 77.2% Master's degree 361 14.1% Doctor of Philosophy 53 2.1% Doctor of Pharmacy/Doctor of Nursing Practice 102 4.0% Total 2,569 100% - Financial Aid for New Students -- 2017-18
Full-time, First-year Students
Percent receiving financial aid 97.5% Average award (including loans) $11,556 Percent receiving institutional scholarships 55% Average scholarship award $2,678 South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
New recipients (Fall 2017) 407 Total number of recipients (Fall 2017) 1,416 Average Award
Graduate and Undergraduate $11,513 - Estimated Costs of Attendance -- 2018-2019
Undergraduate, Resident (30 credits)
Tuition and Fees $8,763 Room and Board $7,069 Undergraduate, Nonresident (30 credits)
Tuition and Fees $12,128 Room and Board $7,069 Graduate, Resident (24 credits)
Tuition and Fees $8,875 Graduate, Nonresident (24 credits)
Tuition and Fees $16,094 Graduate Assistant (24 credits)
Tuition and Fees $1,050
Faculty & Staff
- Full-Time Equivalent Employees -- 2018-2019
Faculty 681 Administration 62 Professional 676 Support Staff 660 Total 2,079 - Rank of Faculty (Full Time, Permanent) -- Fall 2017
Professor 144 Associate Professor 99 Assistant Professor 168 Instructor 102 Lecturer 62 Total 575
Alumni
- Graduates
Total Graduates (Through September 2018) 90,491 Alumni Living in South Dakota 34,214 Alumni living out of state 35,179 Alumni living out of USA 521
Campus
- Physical Plant -- FY2019
Central campus location (maintained) 332.81 acres Additional acres, including 6 research farms 19,306.96 acres Buildings 199 Building space maintained 3,998,944 sq. ft. Replacement value of buildings $1,064,764,470 Residence hall capacity (Fall 2018) 4,431 students - SDSU Foundation (Calendar Year 2017)
Expenditures to support university programs $25,811,124
Expenditures per student FTE - Fall 2017 $2,553.53 - Operating Budget Authority By Agency - FY 2019
SDSU Extension $17,852,514
Agriculture Experiment Station
$39,130,816
University Proper
$246,799,925
- Operating Budget Authority - FY 2019
Instructional Support $128,699,631 42.4% Research (including AES) $62,302,498 20.5% Public Service (including SDSU Extension)
$29,597,605 9.7%
Institutional Support $31,918,328 10.5% Operations and Maintenance of Plant $22,533,620 7.4% Scholarships and Fellowships $896,212 0.3% Auxiliary Enterprises (Res. Life, Food Service, Bookstore) $27,835,361 9.2% Total $303,783,255 100% - Operating Budget Authority By Source of Funds - FY 2019
State Funds $68,436,875
22% Student Tuition & Fees $102,754,201
34% Federal Grants & Contracts/Fed Appropriations $42,366,375
14% Room & Board $17,626,599
6% Other Funds Including General Sales of
Commodities & Services
$72,599,205
24% Total $303,783,255
100%
Research
Research to help society and drive economic development in the state and region is an essential part of the university’s land grant mission. The Division of Research and Economic Development works closely with university researchers and business leaders to tie faculty expertise into solving industry problems. The university has positioned itself as a leader in agriculture and precision agriculture, remote sensing and life sciences. The research enterprise is also capitalizing on expertise in digital technology related to agriculture and resource management.
Total Research Expenditures — FY2017 ---- $63,412,589
- Research Highlights
- More than 800 undergraduates are engaged in university research through the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College.
- 1,320 graduate students are engaged in university research through 36 master’s degree program, 15 Ph.D. programs and two professional doctoral programs offered in seven colleges.
- Faculty researchers provide leadership through the North Central Regional Sun Grant Center and four research centers, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, Ethel Austin Martin Program in Human Nutrition, Biosystems Networks and Translational Research (BioSNTR) and the South Dakota Center for Biologics Research and Commercialization.
- The Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization, which assists university researchers in protecting and commercializing intellectual properties and fosters collaborations between the university and industry partners, has generated nearly $18.5 million in royalties and license fees since it was established 2007. During the last five years, SDSU has averaged 33 invention disclosures, three new patents issued, seven new license agreements per year with half for start-up companies and more than $1.5 million in royalties and revenue per year.
- A new economic development initiative brought together interdisciplinary research groups related to precision agriculture with the support of the Brookings Economic Development Council. This includes experts in computer science, statistics, engineering, remote sensing and agriculture.
- Industry partners, such as Raven Industries, General Mills and Novita Nutrition, have established offices in the Research Park near campus to facilitate collaboration with university researchers in technology development and workforce training.
SDSU Extension
- SDSU Extension
South Dakota State University is home to SDSU Extension, the outreach arm for South Dakota’s land-grant university. SDSU Extension strives to serve as the indispensable outreach link to the citizens of South Dakota by providing solutions, creating entrepreneurial opportunities and providing educational processes that use scientific knowledge. 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 the West River Ag Center in Rapid City, at one of eight SDSU Extension Regional Centers (Aberdeen, Lemmon, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, 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 iGrow.org.
- SDSU Extension Operation Budget Authority, FY 2019
State Funds $8,481,384
47% Federal Funds $6,936,413
39% Other/Local Funds $2,434,717
14% Total $17,852,514
100% 
Number of Regional Extension Centers
8 Number of Field Specialists
42
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 College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and College of Education and Human Sciences.
Eighty-five percent of the S.D. Agricultural Experiment Station resources are directed to five knowledge areas that are critical for South Dakota and the region:
- Plant production and protection (33%);
- Animal production and protection (30%);
- General, forest and range natural resources (10%);
- Nonfood products (6%); and
- Soil (6%).
- Agricultural Experiment Station Operating Budget Authority, FY 2019
State Funds $12,423,322
32% Federal Funds $11,318,124
29% Other / Local Funds $15,389,370
39% Total $39,130,816
100% 
South Dakota Board of Regents
- Board of Regents
Paul B. Beran, Executive Director
Kevin V. Schieffer, President
John W. Bastian, Vice President
Jim Morgan, Secretary
David Mickelson
Pam Roberts
Randy Schaefer
Jim Thares
Joan Wink
Lucas Lund, Student Regent
SDSU Executive Officers
- Executive Officers
Barry H. Dunn, Ph.D., President
Dennis Hedge, Pharm.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Robert Kohrman, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Michaela Willis, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Affairs
Daniel Scholl, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Michael Adelaine, Ph.D., Vice President for Information Technology and Safety
Tracy Greene, University Legal Counsel
Karyn Weber, Chief of Staff