This land-grant heritage and mission has led the university to place a special focus on academic programs in agriculture, engineering, nursing, and pharmacy, as well as liberal arts.

The graduate program is classified as Doctoral, Science, Technology, Engineering, Math dominant.

The first building, with funding from the territorial legislature, was built in 1883, six years before the State of South Dakota was formed.

[8] In 1923, SDSU's instructional program was organized under five divisions: Agriculture, Engineering, General Science, Home Economics, and Pharmacy.

On May 23, 2016 (formal inauguration held September 29, 2016), Barry H. Dunn became the 20th President of South Dakota State University.

SDSU's Department of Political Science has been successful in forming many of the state's current and past congressional delegations.

Some graduates have become general officers, including William E. DePuy, Jake Krull, Raymond W. Carpenter, Franklin J. Blaisdell, Mark A. Clark.

[24] SDSU was recognized in 2017 by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy as the seventh most productive university in the US (and 27th globally) for remote sensing research for the period 2011–2015.

[26] Alumni from the university's research community notable for scientific achievements include: SDSU offers a variety of online programs.

[32] The residential halls on the campus of SDSU make up the densest concentration of people in South Dakota.

The SDSU Marching Band, "The Pride of the Dakotas," given the special name the Millennium Band in 2000 by the South Dakota State Legislature, has marched in the 1981 and 1997 Presidential Inaugural Parades in Washington, D.C.; A Capital Fourth in 2000 in Washington, D.C.; the 2003 and 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California; and the Korean War Monument Dedication at the state's capital Pierre in 2004.

After becoming the first school transitioning to Division I to earn a postseason bid, playing in the WNIT in both 2007 and 2008, SDSU turned its focus to dominating the Summit League.

The program has played in ten NCAA Division I Tournaments, winning four games, highlighted by a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2018.

Through 2022, this was accomplished by John Stiegelmeier, the school's winningest head coach, after the program managed only one Division II playoff appearance (1979).

Zach Zenner became the first Division I football player to record three consecutive seasons of 2,000 rushing yards (2012–14).

It opened prior to the 2010 football season and houses an academic center equipped with study areas, computers, tutors and other educational aids for all South Dakota State teams.

The Sanford Jackrabbit Athlete Complex, a state-of-the-art indoor practice and competition facility, opened October 11, 2014.

[37] In the federal cabinet, Stephen Censky, former United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and in federal foreign service, former Governor of South Dakota Dick Kneip served as United States Ambassador to Singapore.

Alumni of South Dakota State have occupied top positions in Wall Street and the rest of the business world, including CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Nizar Al-Adsani.