The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois, Swedish-heritage sister school, Augustana College.

Augustana is South Dakota's largest private university[8] and offers more than 100 majors, minors, and pre-professional and graduate programs.

In 1860, after church leaders formed the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod, Professor Lars Paul Esbjörn and a group of followers moved to Chicago to create their institution.

[1] As the United States expanded westward during and after the American Civil War, pioneers moved the school to Paxton, Illinois, in 1863.

[10] Augustana draws its name from the origin of the Lutheran Church in the Augsburg Confession, written in 1530 during the Protestant Reformation.

[15] Extensive internship, study abroad, undergraduate research and Civitas, the university's honors program, supplement Augustana's curriculum.

[17] Donations have allowed the school to expand its academic facilities, such as the renovation of the Mikkelsen Library, 2015 reconstruction of the Froiland Science Complex (formerly Gilbert Science Center), 2022 addition of Ralph H. Wagoner Hall,[18] 2023 addition of Midco Arena,[19] and ongoing construction of the Morrison Commons.

[21] Augustana created the Center for Western Studies in 1970,[9] founded by professor Herbert Krause,[30] which serves as a library, repository for special collections of art and artifacts, and academic publisher.

[31] The center holds an annual Dakota Conference on the Northern Plains for history, literature, art, and archaeology.

[32] In addition to shows and galleries of Western, Scandinavian, and Native American art,[33] the Center also hosts the Boe Forum on Public Affairs,[32] which has featured speakers such as Pervez Musharraf, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Mikhail Gorbachev.

[34] The Augustana Choir and Concert Band tour widely nationally and internationally, including to China,[35] Italy,[36] and Tanzania.

Students examine his work in classes specifically designated for Civitas and in special honors sections of existing courses.

[44] The Augustana Vikings participate in NCAA Division II athletics in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

On December 13, 2018, President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin announced that Augustana would begin pursuing a transition to Division I as part of the university's "Vision 2030" plan.

[citation needed] In 2009, Augustana administrators discontinued KAUR's student operations in favor of broadcasting Minnesota Public Radio News.