The University

North Dakota State University, located in Fargo, North Dakota, enrolls approximately 11,600 students in more than 97 undergraduate programs, 50 master's degree programs, and 38 doctoral programs.

As a land-grant institution, the university's educational mission combines academic experiences in the arts, humanities, and social sciences with professional preparation in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, architecture, agriculture, business, education, pharmacy, and human development and family science.

North Dakota State University is a comprehensive, career-oriented university with a long-standing reputation for excellence in scientific research and the professional schools. The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and the academic programs by many other accrediting agencies. A complete listing of all the academic programs offered at North Dakota State University is available here.

To further enhance students' academic options, North Dakota State University participates in the Tri-College University consortium with neighboring Moorhead State University and Concordia College. Thus, students enrolled at North Dakota State University may also take classes at Moorhead State University and Concordia College.

Campus Size and Facilities
The university occupies an area of approximately 30 square blocks of academic buildings and thousands of acres of land set apart from the central campus which are used for research and agricultural experiment programs.

The facilities at North Dakota State University range from the Bison Sports Arena, housing a swimming pool, running track, sauna, weight room, and basketball courts, to the highly technical Electron Microscope Laboratory. University laboratories have a high-power pulsed laser system, DNA-synthesizer, and laser beam particle size analyzer. The Library contains more than a half million volumes and possesses a sophisticated system of electronic information retrieval that allows access to printed material worldwide.

The Student Union is a multipurpose complex featuring an amphitheater for movies and visiting speakers, bowling alley, an art gallery, a bookstore, an exercise room, lounging and eating spaces, and 24-hour study areas. More than 17 rooms with computers for student use are located in many buildigs on campus including the Information Technology Center which supports 480 computers for student use. All students have access to e-mail, the Internet, and computer software. The Music Education Building has a 1,000-seat auditorium that accommodates concerts, lectures, and student productions.

Faculty and Staff
Approximately 600 faculty and other academic staff teach at the university. North Dakota State University's commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service makes highly-qualified faculty available to every student. More than 75 percent of the faculty have the highest degree possible in their academic field. The student/faculty ratio is about 19 to 1. As a result, students receive individualized attention from faculty.

Many faculty members receive a significant number of grants and fellowships in support of their research, allowing opportunities for students to work closely with their professors on important studies.

Members of the faculty also serve as academic advisers and help students plan their undergraduate and graduate programs. Highly trained professional staff provide a range of services in support of the university's mission.

Location And Environment
Located in the north central region of the United States, Fargo, North Dakota, has the Great Plains to its west and the state of Minnesota's wooded lake country to its east. Adjacent to Fargo is the city of Moorhead, Minnesota. The Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area has a population of approximately 175,000 people. The nearest large cities are only a four-hour drive away: Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Winnipeg, Canada.

Enrollments in the community's three institutions of higher learning—North Dakota State University, Concordia College, and Minnesota State University Moorhead —total approximately 20,000. North Dakota experiences variable weather—cold days in the winter, hot days in the summer, as well as many mild, pleasant days in between. The temperature often drops to below 0û F (-18û C) during the winter and rises to as high as 90û F (33û C) during the summer.

The Fargo-Moorhead community serves as a medical, educational, and retail distribution center for the upper midwestern region. The metropolitan area also offers a wealth of opportunities for pursuing cultural, athletic, and other leisure-time interests.

In addition to the programs and attractions sponsored by the three post-secondary institutions, a variety of arts-related events are presented throughout the year by organizations such as the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre, and the Red River Dance and Performing Company.

There are many lakes and forests within 50 miles for year-round recreational activities. Students can play golf in the summer, ski in the winter, and play soccer in fall and spring. Residents of Fargo-Moorhead are hardworking and they take pride in their peaceful, clean, and safe environment.

Students
Students attending North Dakota State University are evenly divided between rural and urban backgrounds. Most of the students are from North Dakota and Minnesota, but students come from all 50 of the United States and 520 come from 62 other countries. Nearly 57 percent of the students are men and 43 percent are women.

Graduate students comprise 1,466 of NDSU's 11,600 students Academically, North Dakota and Minnesota residents test well above the national average on their university entrance examinations and also surpass the national mean in their high school grade point averages.