Bismarck State College

Public college in Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.

Bismarck State College

Type	Public college
Established	1939; 85 years ago (1939)
Parent institution	North Dakota University System
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
President	Douglas Jensen^[1]
Students	3,781
Location	Bismarck , North Dakota , United States
Campus	Urban, 120 acres (49 ha)
Colors	Green and brown
Nickname	Mystics
Sporting affiliations	Mon-Dak Conference, NJCAA, NIRA
Website	www.bismarckstate.edu

Bismarck State College (BSC) is a public college in Bismarck, North Dakota. It is the third largest college in the North Dakota University System with 3,781 students as of September 2016. Established in 1939, it is a comprehensive community college that offers the first two years of education toward a bachelor's degree in most fields as well as 20+ bachelor's degree and several undergraduate programs in conjunction with other university system institutions. In 2020, Bismarck State College became the first polytechnic college in North Dakota. Approximately 35 technical programs are offered and more than 150 courses are offered online. Unique to the institution are degrees in energy, including power and process plant technology, nuclear power technology, electric power technology, and renewable energy.

Student life

Student activities are managed by the staff of the Student and Residence Life Office, located in the Student Union building on campus. Students can register for meal plans, request housing, visit the bookstore, sign up for intramurals or student government, and learn about the activities provided for them on and off campus. Dances, hypnotists, comedians, artists, barbecues, and tie-dye are popular events.

Athletics

Bismarck State's athletic teams are called the Mystics. The college is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), primarily competing in the Mon-Dak Conference (MDC) for most of its sports since 1963. They are also members of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) for men's and women's rodeo.

Bismarck State competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, rodeo, track & field, and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, softball, rodeo, track & field, and volleyball.; and co-ed sports include clay dusters and eSports.^[2]

Bismarck State College is currently transitioning into a four-year institution and will be leaving the Mon-Dak Conference after the 2024-25 academic year. They will become members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and has applied to join the Frontier Conference beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.^[3]

Notable alumni

David Andahl, businessman and politician
Alvin Jaeger, 14th Secretary of State of North Dakota
Brock Lesnar, former WWE Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion
Bob Stenehjem, Republican member and Majority Leader of the North Dakota Senate
Masai Ujiri, general manager of the NBA's Toronto Raptors
Larry Watson, author of novels, poetry, and short stories

Notable faculty

Ed Kringstad - wrestling coach, North Dakota State Senator^[4]

Notes

^ "State Board chooses Dr. Douglas Jensen as next Bismarck State College president". bismarckstate.edu (Press release). March 26, 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
^ "Bismarck State Athletics Home". Bismarck State College Athletics. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
^ "NAIA Announces Membership Additions". NAIA. 2024-04-08. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
^ 'Ed Kringstad-Obituary,' The Bismarck Tribune.com, March 7, 2013