Black Hills State University (BHSU) is a public university founded in 1883 in the city of Spearfish, South Dakota USA.

The school was founded on land bought by local people seeking to open a new school for people of the territory. The school’s first intake of students numbered just 70 and lessons took place in a temporary structure. In 1924 the school was allowed to adopt a four-year curriculum and award its first bachelor’s degree. From the 1940s to the 1960s the institution grew, taking on more students and adding new buildings to the campus. The late 60s saw students protesting the Vietnam war on campus. Today BHSU is a thriving public university where, according to the school motto ‘anything is possible.’

BHSU has a few thousand students, most of them studying for undergraduate degrees. There are students from a large number of states in the US and 29 countries enrolled. The university offers over 80 majors and minors, 5 master’s programs and 20 pre-professional programs organised into its three academic schools: The College of Liberal Arts, The College of Business and Natural Sciences and the College of Education and Behavioural Sciences.

The university has also recently received significant funds to invest in biomedical research equipment, the Stanford Lab and computer science education.

The BHSU campus covers over 120 acres and is home to the university’s academic, administrative and residential buildings. There are 20 main buildings including a stadium and sports facilities, student union building and a music building with a recital hall and choir and band practice rooms.