Augustana University

What Augustana University does

Augustana University is a private, independent liberal arts university located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, founded in 1860 under Lutheran tradition. The institution serves more than 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students drawn from 44 U.S. states and 45 countries, operating across five academic schools — the College of Arts & Sciences, Rydell School of Business, School of Health Professions, School of Music, and Sharon Lust School of Education — and supporting units including the De & Dave Knudson Center for Global Engagement, the Augustana Research Institute, Mikkelsen Library, the Student Success Center, and the Nancy Dickinson Writing Center. Graduate offerings span DPT, MBA, MSW, M.Ed., MSAL, MSAT, MSGC, and OTD programs, with a new dual-degree engineering pathway launched with the University of North Dakota in Fall 2025.

The business model is a diversified higher-education revenue stack: recurring tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate enrollment form the core stream, supplemented by grants and endowments (notably a $5 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant awarded in December 2025) and private donations from alumni, family foundations, and corporate partners (e.g., $2 million from the Elmen Family Foundation in April 2025). Go-to-market is a traditional sales-led admissions process executed through regional admission counselors covering 44 states, campus visits, recruitment events, and a centralized international office. Marketing channels span the augie.edu website, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube), campus events such as Viking Days and commencement, and direct email communications to prospective students, current students, alumni, and donors.

The university is led by President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and governed by an independent Board of Trustees under a non-profit structure. It is executing a multi-year capital and program expansion under the 'Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030' strategic plan, including the $12 million Foundation Heights student apartment project (with Lloyd Companies, completion Fall 2026), the $2.9 million Elmen Center revitalization (completion Summer 2026), and the newly launched MSW program — one of only two in South Dakota. Customer outcomes are a key differentiator, with 98% of 2025 graduates achieving a positive career outcome and 96% receiving admission to continuing education, while the athletics program is tied for the most NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships (11) among Division II schools since 2018-19.

Name

Augustana University

Legal name

Augustana University

Website

https://augie.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1860

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Augustana University is a private, Lutheran-affiliated liberal arts university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, founded in 1860, serving 2,500+ undergraduate and graduate students from 44 states and 45 countries across five academic schools, with tuition, grants, and donations as its primary revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Liberal Arts University

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Liberal arts education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate professional degrees
• Lutheran university

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, along with fees for various programs and services.
2. Grants and Endowments: External funding including the $5 million Lilly Endowment grant for the Sacred Discoveries storytelling initiative.
3. Private Donations: Philanthropic contributions from alumni, corporations, and foundations including the $2 million Elmen Family Foundation gift.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Augustana University is a private liberal arts institution that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across the College of Arts & Sciences, Rydell School of Business, School of Health Professions, School of Music, and Sharon Lust School of Education. It supplements classroom instruction with undergraduate research, internships, spiritual formation, NCAA Division II athletics, and global engagement programs for students from 44 states and 45 countries.

Product overview

Augustana University is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs through its five academic schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, Rydell School of Business, School of Health Professions, School of Music, and Sharon Lust School of Education. The university provides academic support through the Student Success Center, Nancy Dickinson Writing Center, and Mikkelsen Library. Research opportunities are available through the Augustana Research Institute, while international programs are managed by the De & Dave Knudson Center for Global Engagement. The institution operates on a liberal arts curriculum with emphasis on experiential learning, undergraduate research, and global engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College of Arts & Sciences

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of 2025 graduates achieved positive career outcomes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Levitt at the FallsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 June 2026Augustana is partnering with Levitt at the Falls' Share the Stage Program to support local artists and their professional development. The university will host Share the Stage Opening Acts on five nights throughout the summer.
• Forward Sioux Falls CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026The Forward Sioux Falls Campaign is providing $50,000 annually over five years ($250,000 total) to support Augustana's Harriet Emily Scott Social Work Program. The funding provides compensation for qualifying BSW and MSW students completing internships in health care-related fields.
• Our Savior's Lutheran ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025Our Savior's Lutheran Church (OSL) hosts performances of Augustana's School of Music ensemble, the Augustana Bach Collegium. Thanks to support from Dr. Greg '74 and Karen Schultz '75, the partnership will continue for four years.
• Shattuck-St. Mary's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, Minnesota serves as the recording venue for Augustana's Tiårasang Project. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd provides extraordinary acoustics for the decade-long initiative to preserve Lutheran collegiate choral music.
• Lloyd CompaniesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2025Augustana partnered with Lloyd Companies to develop Foundation Heights, a $12 million apartment building for students located at the northeast corner of 28th Street and Grange Avenue. The project is part of the university's Viking Bold strategic plan to transform the physical campus with new and enhanced facilities. Construction expected completion Fall 2026.
• University of North DakotacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Augustana partnered with UND to offer a 5-year dual-degree engineering program launching Fall 2025. Students take foundational courses at Augustana and online engineering courses through UND.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Sioux Falls: Private Christian university located in the same city as Augustana, similar size and program mix (undergraduate liberal arts plus graduate professional programs). Direct head-to-head competitor for students, faculty, and donors in the Sioux Falls market.
• Wartburg College: ELCA-affiliated private liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa. Comparable in faith tradition, residential model, NCAA D-III athletics profile, and Midwest recruitment geography.
• St. Olaf College: ELCA-affiliated private liberal arts college in Northfield, MN. Comparable in Lutheran heritage, rigorous liberal arts curriculum, strong music programs, and competitive Midwestern applicant pool.
• Luther College: ELCA-affiliated private liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa. Closely comparable in Lutheran identity, residential liberal arts model, NCAA D-III athletics, and Midwestern recruitment footprint.
• Concordia College (Moorhead, MN): ELCA-affiliated private liberal arts college in Moorhead, MN. Highly comparable in faith tradition, residential model, academic mix, and Midwestern applicant pool.
• Midland University: ELCA-affiliated private liberal arts university in Fremont, NE. Comparable in faith tradition, small private residential model, NCAA athletics, and Great Plains recruitment footprint.
• Augsburg University: ELCA-affiliated private university in Minneapolis, MN. Comparable in faith tradition and private Midwestern positioning, with a broader urban, more diverse student profile and somewhat larger graduate offerings.
• Bethany Lutheran College: ELS-affiliated private liberal arts college in Mankato, MN. Comparable in Lutheran identity and residential liberal arts model, though smaller scale than Augustana.
• Concordia University, St. Paul: LCMS-affiliated private university in St. Paul, MN with strong graduate and online programs. Comparable in Lutheran identity, Midwestern base, and a broader portfolio of graduate and accelerated degree paths relevant to Augustana's MSW/M.Ed./MBA expansion.
• Gustavus Adolphus College: ELCA-affiliated private liberal arts college in St. Peter, MN. Closely comparable in faith tradition, academic profile, strong NCAA D-III athletics brand, and Midwestern pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/augustanasd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AugieEdu
• Facebookfacebook.com/AugustanaCollegeSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/227550
• Instagraminstagram.com/augustanasd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Augustana University