In 1900 Aberdeen had the fastest-growing population in northern South Dakota and advocates for school began to organize in greater numbers.

[3] Wealthy Aberdonians quickly responded by donating land for the school; the Aberdeen City Council created a committee of 25 to choose the site.

On November 10, the Thomases sold the two half-blocks in question to the state for one dollar and Melgaard received $1,300 for his 20-acre (8.1 ha) plot.

[2] The first president of the Northern Normal and Industrial School, Charles F. Koehler, opened it with the purpose of giving students an education in academic studies.

A proud moment came on October 23, 1911, when President William Howard Taft gave a speech, combining foreign policy issues with the role of the Normal school, in the newly completed auditorium of the Administration Building.

While bombs are to be dodged, shrapnel to be watched, and rifle bullets guarded against, the war-weary warrior thinks of home ...

It is food for their friendship and if you could open a soldier's heart, you would find the pictures of his sweetheart, mother, father, sister, or brothers and children.

This new policy proved to be troublesome for NNIS, because it was no longer necessary to attend the school in order to teach in South Dakota.

The headline of the April 1920 issue of the Exponent read, "NNIS To Become Teacher's College", making Foght's effort successful.

Noah E. Steele was the president from 1939 until 1951;[2] he increased enrollment numbers, constructed new additions to the campus, and helped the school get through World War II.

For the next two decades, Northern State College continued to improve its quality of education and make drastic changes to its campus.

In 1987 it received the second-highest classification from the Carnegie Commission granted to any South Dakota college or university: Comprehensive I Institution.

Gerber Building, which houses the offices and classrooms for the School of Education, the Johnson Fine Arts Center, home of the fine arts department and many level classes, and the Mewaldt-Jensen building, which has 16 classrooms, 13 laboratories, and 60 offices that house the mathematics, science, and business departments.

The Beulah Williams Library has several group study rooms, multimedia stations, NSU Archives, and an extensive collection of books.

[7] A 128,000-square-foot (11,900 m2) athletic complex, the Joseph H. Barnett Physical Education and Convocation Center, was completed in 1987 and houses the coaches' offices and several classrooms.

The Harvey C. Jewett IV Regional Science Education Center is home to the biology and chemistry departments.

With state-of-the-art labs and equipment, this two-story facility is enhancing science education and undergraduate research on campus while offering community outreach opportunities to K-12 students around the area.

With its prominent placement at the corner of Twelfth Avenue Southeast and South State Street, it also serves as a gateway to campus, with a wolf statue in front of the building.