Augustana University

Augustana University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts institution that provides undergraduate and graduate education to students primarily from the United States, with a growing number of international learners. The university offers more than seventy undergraduate majors across disciplines such as nursing, business, education, the sciences, and the humanities, alongside a selection of master’s and doctoral programs. Instruction is delivered through a combination of classroom lecture, laboratory work, field experience, and online formats, aiming to develop critical thinking, communication skills, and ethical reasoning. The institution also supports research initiatives, community‑engaged learning, and professional internships that connect academic study with real‑world application. Its mission is rooted in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America tradition, emphasizing service, vocation, and holistic development.

The university enrolls several thousand undergraduate and graduate students each year, creating a diverse campus community that reflects a range of geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It employs a faculty of several hundred full‑time and part‑time instructors who hold terminal degrees in their fields and contribute to teaching, scholarship, and service. The campus occupies approximately one hundred acres in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, featuring academic buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, and green spaces that support both curricular and extracurricular activities. Augustana University maintains a robust study abroad program that sends students to dozens of countries, fostering global awareness and cross‑cultural competence. Its athletic teams, known as the Vikings, compete in NCAA Division II, offering opportunities for student‑athletes to excel in sports while pursuing academic goals.

Distinguishing attributes of Augustana University include its affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which informs its values‑based approach to education and community life. The institution is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, affirming that it meets established standards for quality and effectiveness in higher education. Notable strengths are frequently cited in its nursing and business programs, which prepare graduates for licensure and professional practice in high‑demand fields. The university also emphasizes liberal arts outcomes such as interdisciplinary thinking, ethical leadership, and civic engagement, integrating these goals across its curriculum and co‑curricular offerings. These characteristics position Augustana University as a distinctive provider of faith‑informed, student‑centered education within the Midwest higher‑education landscape.

Structurally, Augustana University operates as an independent, nonprofit corporation governed by a board of trustees that oversees fiduciary responsibility, strategic direction, and institutional policy. It does not have a parent company or subsidiary structure, retaining full autonomy over its academic and operational decisions. The ransomware incident reported on May 1 2019, which potentially compromised data on an affected server, prompted the university to offer two years of complimentary credit monitoring to those potentially affected and to undertake a review of its security protocols, including employee training on phishing awareness. This event underscored the institution’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding information assets while continuing to fulfill its educational mission.