University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota, South Dakota’s Flagship University, is the state’s oldest and most prestigious university. It is a growing, thriving university committed to excellence in education, research and service. Accredited by the North Central Association of College and Schools since 1913, the University is a comprehensive, doctorate granting institution with a liberal arts undergraduate emphasis.
Founded in 1862 by the Dakota Territorial Legislature, USD is an institution that recognizes the value of its past, even as it extends and expands its high quality programs and services to meet the challenges of tomorrow. USD is one of six public universities under the governance of the South Dakota Board of Regents.
Located in Vermillion, S.D., a friendly and relaxed campus community, the University offers more than 100 academic programs in its eight schools and colleges. The University is home to the state's only law and medical schools, and the only College of Fine Arts. The institution has a professionally accredited School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences is a center for liberal arts education. The School of Education is highly regarded. USD is recognized for academic excellence and affordable cost in such publications at U.S. News and World Report and Princeton Review, among others.
Galleries, theaters and traveling shows from the College of Fine Arts offer cultural opportunities. America's National Music Museum holds one of the world's most distinguished collections of musical instruments. USD is the home to the state's oldest public university building - Old Main. Restored in 1996, Old Main houses the USD Honors Program as well as 17 classrooms. Besides providing a special learning environment, Old Main also houses the Oscar Howe Gallery, the Governor's Electronic Classroom, and the beautiful and intimate W.O. Farber Hall which is used frequently for lectures and performances. Farber Hall includes a Governor's Gallery, which includes portraits of the 10 governors who graduated from USD.
The DakotaDome, the area's only domed arena, was built in 1979 and provides recreational opportunities for students and serves as a facility for varsity athletics. USD competes in the 10-school NCAA Division II North Central Conference.
USD has a number of important and influential alumni. Dr. E.O. Lawrence, a 1922 USD graduate, won the Nobel Prize in 1939 for inventing the cyclotron (first atom smasher). Other famous alums include Tom Brokaw, USA Today founder Allen Neuharth, sports and entertainment host Pat O'Brien. Other graduates have received prominent awards and positions including: twelve Rhodes Scholars, eight Truman Scholars, Udall Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, Goldwater Scholars, ten of South Dakota's governors, all sitting justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court, more than 90 percent of the practicing attorneys and more than one-third of the practicing physicians in South Dakota, as well as business and education leaders, among others.
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