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North Dakota State University (NDSU)

Website:

www.ndsu.edu/
Type:

Public Land Grant, Research Unveristy
Interim President:

Rick Berg

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North Dakota State University (NDSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. As of March 2026, the university had an enrollment of 12,037 students. 1 In fiscal year 2024, the university spent $199.8 million on research. Among the federal agencies supporting research at the university are the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation. For-profit companies, nonprofits, and the state government also funded university research. 2

In December 2020, students at the university protested in favor of creating hate speech rules at the university, even though such rules may violate of the First Amendment. 3

In 2025, anti-Israel activists condemned NDSU’s relationship with Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems and its work on military drones. The activists demanded that NDSU sever all ties with the Israeli company, claiming that NDSU was complicit in genocide in the Gaza Strip. Elbit manufactures drones that are used by the Israeli military. 4

History

North Dakota State University was founded in 1890 as North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC). In 1960, the college’s name was changed to North Dakota State University. 5

Controversies

Relationship With Planned Parenthood

As of 2021, North Dakota State University nursing professor Molly Secor-Turner has been partnered with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America on a sex education program for high-risk youth since 2012. In April 2021, North Dakota lawmakers passed a bill banning university faculty members from working with abortion providers. NDSU faculty senate president Florin Salajan denounced the bill, accusing lawmakers of using “intimidation tactics, the threat of legal repercussions and imposition of financial penalties to prevent the legitimate pursuit of scholarly work that has been demonstrated to be beneficial to our fellow citizens, but that legislators may consider at odds with their own convictions.” Then-NDSU president Dean Bresciani also criticized the legislation, claiming that it may violate the academic freedom of faculty. 6

Campus Protests

In December 2020, North Dakota State University students protested a racist Snapchat channel that was run by a group of white NDSU students. The protestors demanded harsher action by the administration against the students running the Snapchat account. They also demanded stricter “hate speech” rules, even though they may violate the First Amendment, which limits how public universities can restrict speech. 3

In December 2023, some NDSU students took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration where the highly controversial slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was chanted. 7

In March 2026, the Woman’s Activist Organization, Black Student Activists, the Asian Student Organization, College Democrats, and Young Democratic Socialists of America held an anti-Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) protest. The protest lasted an hour and a half and remained peaceful. 8

Critical Race Theory and DEI

In May 2023, North Dakota enacted an anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) law. The law prohibits DEI hiring statements and mandatory diversity training at state public universities and prohibits disciplinary action against students or faculty for refusing to endorse specified concepts, including those that assert the U.S. is inherently racist or sexist and that all Americans are not created equal and endowed with inalienable rights. 9

According to the activist group Critical Race Training in Education, numerous DEI and far-left critical race theory policies remain in effect at NDSU as of January 2026. 10

Starting in the 2024 to 2025 academic year, NSDU offers the “Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver” to eligible incoming students to “promote enrollment of a culturally diverse student body, including members of Indian tribes and economically disadvantaged students, for the benefit of all students and the academic community.” 10

The NDSU English Department has a diversity statement as of March 2026 that includes the objective: “recruit, hire, retain, and support faculty and students who identify as part of an underrepresented group.” The diversity statement also declares, “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of being human; engaging diversity and practicing equity and inclusion helps develop empathy with different people and perspectives.” The statement also said, “Greater awareness of racial and social injustice helps students become prepared to speak/stand up in the face of it. Understanding the realities of injustice/inequity equips students to engage and confront it in the future.” The statement also included, “We will interrogate public-facing department communications, curricular offerings, course materials, and assessment practices at the programmatic level for opportunities to integrate anti-racist and inclusive language and practices, and we will eliminate language that sustains oppression.” 11

NDSU also attempted to require that all students take “diversity and cultural competency training.” 10

As of March 2026, NDSU’s faculty support featured the Community of Respect seminars to “teach individual participants about cultural differences and to encourage them to think critically about the impact of their cultural values in their relationships with others.” One of the training modules taught participants to “overcome unconscious bias,” how to recognize and combat “microaggressions”, and how to “positively confront bias when they see it.” 12

The university has an Anti-Racism Coalition (ARC) consisting of NDSU faculty, staff, and students who “recognize the ways in which predominantly white institutions, such as our own, often perpetuate systemic racism and the injustices that are tied to it.” 10

NDSU Libraries provided an anti-racist teaching and learning resource guide to “assist instructors in the classroom, as well as resources covering issues at the intersection of race and higher education.” 10

In January 2025, NDSU issued a “statement of inclusivity,” which included a pledge to combat “violence in language or in action.” The statement brought criticism from free speech advocates, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which worried about potential censorship. 13

In February 2025, the North Dakota Board of Higher Education stated, “We value diversity of thought and of people and believing that diversity is a necessity to a vibrant learning community that pursues excellence in scholarship and research. We are committed to providing a university system that is trustworthy, supportive, safe, and welcoming. We are committed to ensuring intercultural and international diversity in our curriculum and our people.” The board stated that it was not changing its policies in the wake of the U.S. Department of Education’s guidance demanding the end of DEI initiatives and other policies that considered race. 14

Leadership

As of March 2026, former U.S. Representative Rick Berg (R-ND) is the interim president of North Dakota State University. He is a former majority leader and speaker of the North Dakota state House, in addition to being a former Congressman. 15

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education is the policy-setting body for North Dakota’s public universities, including NDSU. The board consists of seven members appointed for four-year terms by the governor and one student member appointed for a one-year term by the Governor. 16

Finances

North Dakota State University’s fiscal year 2026 budget is $502,673,121. Tuition and fees make up the largest revenue source at $125,398,000. The State of North Dakota gave $82,176,425. 17

In the 2025 to 2026 academic year, in-state tuition was $6,762 per year. 1

References

  1. “North Dakota State University (NDSU).” The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.princetonreview.com/college/north-dakota-state-university-1023728.
  2. “NDSU Sets Sixth Consecutive Record for Annual Research Expenditures.” North Dakota State University, January 13, 2026. https://www.ndsu.edu/news/ndsu-sets-sixth-consecutive-record-annual-research-expenditures.
  3. Huber, Dave. “North Dakota State Students Protest School Officials Abiding by the First Amendment.” The College Fix, December 7, 2020. https://www.thecollegefix.com/north-dakota-state-students-protest-school-officials-abiding-by-the-first-amendment/.
  4. Bertsch, Lindsey, and Danaka Katovich. “North Dakota’s Drone Contracts Link the State to Genocide.” Common Dreams, April 10, 2025. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/north-dakota-drones-genocide.
  5. “History & Traditions.” North Dakota State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.ndsu.edu/about/campus/history-traditions.
  6. Baker, Carrie N. “‘Cancel Culture’? North Dakota Lawmakers Try to Block Abortion Rights Supporters from University Campuses.” Ms. Magazine, May 26, 2021. https://msmagazine.com/2021/05/26/cancel-culture-north-dakota-university-block-abortion-planned-parenthood/.
  7. Reuer, Wendy. “About 100 March in Fargo to Show Support for Palestine, Ceasefire.” Grand Forks Herald, December 17, 2023. https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/north-dakota/about-100-march-in-fargo-to-show-support-for-palestine-ceasefire.
  8. Cran, Alex. “Students Rally on Churchill Field in Protest of ICE Enforcement Actions.” The spectrum, March 3, 2026. https://ndsuspectrum.com/post/students-rally-on-churchill-field-in-protest-of-ice-enforcement-actions.
  9. Brahm, Nikki. “Anti-DEI Legislation Becomes Reality in Florida, North Dakota: Insight Into Academia.” Insight Into Academia, May 14, 2023. https://insightintoacademia.com/anti-dei-legislation-becomes-reality-in-florida-north-dakota/.
  10. “North Dakota State University.” Critical Race Training in Education, January 20, 2026. https://criticalrace.org/schools/north-dakota-state-university/.
  11. “Diversity Statement.” North Dakota State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.ndsu.edu/english/about/diversity_statement.
  12. “Community of Respect.” North Dakota State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.ndsu.edu/facultyaffairs/inclusion/trainings/community_of_respect.
  13. Turley, Jonathan. “North Dakota State University under Fire over ‘Violent Speech’ Policy.” JONATHAN TURLEY, January 15, 2025. https://jonathanturley.org/2025/01/15/north-dakota-state-university/comment-page-2/.
  14. “News: ND Board of Higher Education Stands by Diversity Commitment Amid Federal Directive.” The Minot Voice, February 28, 2025. https://www.theminotvoice.com/minot-news/nd-board-of-higher-education-holds-nd-board-of-higher-education-stands-by-diversity-commitment-amid-federal-directive-28253/.
  15. “About.” North Dakota State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.ndsu.edu/president/about.
  16. “Board Members.” North Dakota University System. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://ndus.edu/sbhe-overview/board-members-2.
  17. “Proposed Annual Budget 2025-2027.” North Dakota State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.ndsu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/FY26%20Budget%20Book.pdf.
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