Firstly South Dakota State University was named as Dakota Agriculture College, and was founded in 1881. Later in 1904 the name was changed to South Dakota State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts. And finally in 1964 the name was changed to its presents name as South Dakota State University.

South Dakota State University is the state's land grant institution. The University is organized into 8 colleges: Agriculture & Biological Sciences, Arts & Science, Education & Counseling, Family & Consumer Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy, and General Studies & Outreach Programming. Also SDSU has a special focus on academic programs in agriculture, engineering, nursing, and pharmacy, as well as the liberal arts. SDSU is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the state's six public universities and two special schools. Here our students will find a diverse campus experience. There are over 200 majors and minors that offer South Dakota State University. And it is a unique opportunities for “hands-on” learning in every field of study.

SDSU awards associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s and doctoral degrees. SDSU is known in the region for having excellent engineering programs and a very competitive nursing program. Moreover, SDSU offers a variety of programs that can be completed online.

In addition to academics, SDSU has hundreds of activities to participate in, including academic and sports clubs, theater, music, art, student government, student publications, multi-cultural events and more. All of this in addition to a beautiful campus, motivated professors and a safe, friendly atmosphere makes South Dakota State University a great place to get a quality education.