Black Hills State University, founded in 1883 and located in Spearfish, S.D., is a four-year, public liberal arts institution. The university has an enrollment of more than 3,500 students and its campus is spread on an area of over 120 acres. It has a student-faculty ratio of 20-to-1, and offers a choice of more than 80 majors and minors in bachelor s and master s degrees. Additionally, it offers a number of associate degrees and pre-professional programs. The university has more than 25 buildings and over 110 full-time faculty members. Its arts and sciences, business and technology, and education colleges offer more than 60 degree programs at the associate, masters and baccalaureate levels. More than 80 percent of the students receive financial assistance.