Dakota State University students walking around campus

Preparation + opportunity = success

That's the DSU equation. We're a four-year university with nationally recognized programs, cutting-edge facilities, and the brightest thinkers. But we're also a tight-knit, inclusive community. Small class sizes mean hands-on training and individualized attention. All this with an affordable, public school price that's among the best values in the region.

Majors & Degrees

Search

Popular searches

smiling woman

Is DSU the right fit for you?

Even the best brochures and postcards (and yes, even websites) can only tell you so much about a college. The only surefire way to know if DSU is right for you is to see for yourself.

Visit DSU

Home ― About DSU

About DSU

statue on campus
Faculty working in the research lab

Uniting on an upward pace

In 1881, Dakota State University was founded as a school for teacher education, in the Dakota Territory. Though we have since shifted our primary focus of education to the cyber world, Dakota State remains one of the few universities in the nation, who provides students with the technology needed to excel in any career.

Dakota State University is located in the ancestral territory of the Oceti Sakowin, an alliance made up of the Isanti, Ihanktunwan, and Titunwan. Today, these peoples are represented by the nine federally recognized tribes of South Dakota: The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe.

As a united front, our Trojans remain on an upward trajectory into the future. We’re growing at a fast pace, expanding our campus, and immersing ourselves in the most advanced and innovative technologies. We want you to rise with us.

Students displaying research projects.

Research and economic development

Research at Dakota State is rising. Over the last several years, DSU researchers have expanded their initiatives from peer-reviewed publications and high-profile conference presentations, to include new infrastructure, internationally relevant accolades for their work, and an ever-growing community of partners. Dakota State University researchers garner funding from federal, state, and local agencies, as well as some international sources.

Research @ DSU

Picture of DSU campus with students walking on paths.

Rankings

Ranked among The Best Online Colleges in South Dakota for 2020 by TheBestSchools.org - Dakota State University offers a variety of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs through four colleges.

Our online programs are named one of the best values based on OnlineSchoolscenter.com, and the most affordable by CollegeValuesOnline.com. There are plenty of programs at DSU Online such as Accounting, Business Management, Computer Science, Cyber Operations, Elementary Education, Health Informatics, Information Systems, Marketing, Network and Security Administration, and more.

Dakota State has also earned the 2020-2021 Military Friendly® School designation by means of affordable tuition, quality degrees, and unique partnerships that help military members succeed.

Professor in class teaching students.

Accreditations

Our accreditations demonstrate the quality of programs across our campus. Accreditations impact Dakota State in a variety of ways, including student eligibility for federal assistance or loans, enabling graduates to sit for certification exams, and assuring all our constituencies that DSU meets or exceeds quality standards.

  • Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
  • South Dakota Department of Education
  • Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
  • Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

DSU Accreditations

93%

Residence hall occupancy

$59.7

Million dollar operating budget

99.7%

Placement rate for our graduating class

3,241

Total student headcount

1,772

Total headcount of internet-only students

24

Buildings on almost 62 acres

Where everyone’s welcome

DSU Trojan mascot with community members at Downtown Madtown event.

Madison, South Dakota

Leaving home can be hard. But at DSU, we make this transition smooth and effortless, so you’ll feel like you never left. With four on-campus residence halls and two apartment style housing complexes, you can practically choose where to live. Plus, being in the heart of Madison, you’re surrounded by restaurants, stores, lakes, hiking trails, and job opportunities.

Madison Chamber of Commerce

Students posing for photos at the annual Back2Blue Bash.

Community and campus events

At DSU, there’s never a dull moment. Support your fellow Trojans at an athletic event. Sign-up for a summer camp. Share your passion with others when you become a part of our many clubs and organizations. Find your friends, discover your family.

News

Graphic for Trojan Days 2023 with General Cy in the background.

Suzy Collignon-Hodgen & Max Hodgen named parade marshals

Dakota State alumni Max Hodgen (B.S. ’97 & ’99, M.S. ’09) and Suzy Collignon-Hodgen (B.S. ’98) are the 2023 Trojan Days Parade Marshals. The couple’s origins began at DSU.

DSU Students

DSU enrollment tops 3500

DSU enrollment tops 3500 for the first time ever. Growth seen in multiple categories.

DSU Homecoming Court - Back row: Santiago Colla, Casey Te Grotenhuis, Tyler Thomas, and Cody Farland; Front row: Alexandra Smith, Casey Olson, Blen Asgedom, and Kalani Mangin.

King and Queen crowned at DSU

Tyler Thomas and Blen Asgedom were crowned king and queen at Dakota State’s Sept. 11 coronation ceremony.

More news

“The United States' status as a global power comes from serving as a magnet for the world's brightest minds.”

President José-Marie Griffiths, PhD