Augustana University

Augustana University is a private, Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The largest private university in the state, the institution derives its name from the Confessio Augustana, or Augsburg Confession, a foundational document of Lutheranism. Students, alumni, friends, employees, and those who know the college casually refer to it as "Augie." Prior to September 2015, the university was known as Augustana College.

The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois Swedish-heritage sister-school, Augustana College. It celebrated its sesquicentennial during the 2010–2011 academic year.

Augustana University offers 53 majors, 34 minors, and 15 pre-professional programs. The top five most popular majors are nursing, biology, business administration, elementary education and psychology.

The university's curriculum is based on a calendar divided into two 15-week semesters, separated by an interim period of four weeks during January, as well as an optional summer term of eight weeks. Classes may be taken during the month of January. The school offers a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio and notable professors include L. Adrien Hannus and V.R Nelson.

The Augustana Vikings currently participate in NCAA Division II athletics in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Vikings joined the NSIC from the North Central Conference, which folded in 2008. The men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2016. The women's basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2013. The men's baseball team won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2018.

During both the 2004–2005 and 2009–2010 school years, Augustana wrestlers finished second in the NCAA Division II championship. The Sioux Falls Arena serves as the home court for the men's and women's basketball team. The Elmen Center, opened in 1989, serves as the home court for the volleyball team and wrestling team. 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.