In 1890, The North Dakota State University was founded in Fargo as the North Dakota Agricultural College. Today the land-grant university enrolls over 12,000 students, and is the second largest school in the eleven campus North Dakota University System.

North Dakota State has annual research expediture over $100 million and is home to a 55 acre Research and Technology Park and several agricultural experiment stations across the state. Major fields of research at North Dakota State University are nanotechnology and agriculture.