North Dakota State University-Main Campus
ND · AI Readiness #146 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 6.2 /10
One of the first standalone AI degrees at a land-grant university in the Northern Plains, a B.S. in Artificial Intelligence, launched at NDSU in fall 2026, alongside a new Honors College scholarship for students focused on AI and society.
NDSU undergrads can pair the AI degree with three open-enrollment certificates, including Applied AI for All Careers and AI and the Humanities, both requiring no computer science background. The Bison supercomputer, funded by a $3.85 million NSF grant and operational since summer 2026, gives all students free access to GPU-optimized AI compute through CCAST. NDSU also leads the NSF AgTech Engine, a federally backed agriculture-AI initiative with up to $160 million in potential funding, signaling deep institutional investment in applied AI research that undergrads can tap through CCAST internships and the new Institute for AI in Learning and Workforce Development.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: C
- Curriculum: A-
- Partnerships: C+
- Research: A
A(I)ttitude™: neutral
Selected Highlights
- B.S. in Artificial Intelligence launched Fall 2026, standalone degree, faculty leads Simone Ludwig and Sean Whalen confirmed.
- Multiple confirmed AI-related capital commitments: $3.85M NSF MRI (Bison supercomputer), $1M WEIF legislative grant for AI Institute, $15M initial NSF AgTech Engine award (NDSU as lead institution), $4.8M NSF AI/ML coatings grant.
- Institute for AI in Learning and Workforce Development approved by ND State Board of Higher Education September 2025; multi-disciplinary mandate across agriculture, engineering, health, education, and business.
- 'Horizon' local LLM built on Bison supercomputer infrastructure, university-built platform, launched August 2026; currently scoped to graduate researchers and faculty but explicitly designed to scale to undergraduates.
- OTL AI in Education Series (Blackboard self-paced course plus named workshop sessions); CCAST Advanced Research Computing Training Program (600+ trained over four years); both confirmed ongoing.