State profile · 26 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Colleges in North Dakota
Colleges in North Dakota from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.
- 26
- Colleges
- $42,678
- Avg 10-yr earnings (23 of 26)
- 70.2%
- Avg acceptance
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
North Dakota · the picture in one line
North Dakota's 23 of 26 colleges that report earnings average $42,678 in 10-year former-student earnings - 32nd highest of 56 states and territories that report.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- #32
- of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
- $63,552
- top earnings - University of North Dakota
- 70.2%
- avg acceptance (8 reporting)
- 14 / 5 / 7
- public / nonprofit / for-profit
Best earnings-to-cost value among North Dakota colleges with reported figures: Bismarck State College.
This page aggregates colleges and universities in North Dakota returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.
The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in North Dakota as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.
The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.
Largest Colleges in North Dakota by Enrollment
IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.
- University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
9,981 students
- North Dakota State Unive…
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
9,471 students
- Bismarck State College 2,839
Bismarck State College
2,839 students
- University of Mary 2,416
University of Mary
2,416 students
- Minot State University 2,062
Minot State University
2,062 students
- North Dakota State Colle… 1,909
North Dakota State College of Science
1,909 students
- Dickinson State University 1,090
Dickinson State University
1,090 students
- University of Jamestown 1,041
University of Jamestown
1,041 students
- Valley City State Univer… 958
Valley City State University
958 students
- Mayville State University 733
Mayville State University
733 students
- Williston State College 651
Williston State College
651 students
- Lake Region State College 611
Lake Region State College
611 students
What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.
Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: North Dakota
U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.
- University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
$63,552 USD
- North Dakota State Unive…
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
$62,203 USD
- University of Mary
University of Mary
$60,909 USD
- University of Jamestown
University of Jamestown
$56,621 USD
- Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College
$54,277 USD
- Valley City State Univer…
Valley City State University
$52,725 USD
- Minot State University
Minot State University
$51,759 USD
- Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University
$50,720 USD
- North Dakota State Colle…
North Dakota State College of Science
$50,513 USD
- Lake Region State College
Lake Region State College
$49,502 USD
- Mayville State University
Mayville State University
$47,828 USD
- Williston State College
Williston State College
$44,017 USD
What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.
The ROI lens
North Dakota colleges: earnings vs. cost
National context
How North Dakota ranks among the states
North Dakota's average 10-year earnings of $42,678 place it in the 43rd percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.
North Dakota: average former-student earnings vs. every state
State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$42,678 43rd percentile higher than 43% of 56 states & territories
Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.
School type matters
How school type shapes earnings in North Dakota
Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.
Average former-student earnings by school type - North Dakota
Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
- Public
Public
$47,167 avg earnings
- Private nonprofit
Private nonprofit
$42,101 avg earnings
- For-profit
For-profit
$31,584 avg earnings
What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.
What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in North Dakota
PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 26 postsecondary institutions in North Dakota. The ownership mix is 14 public institutions, 5 private nonprofits, and 7 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.
Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 20 of 26 North Dakota institutions that report one is $9,245, and the average admission rate among the 8 that report one sits at 70.2%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.
Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 23 of 26 North Dakota colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $42,678, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.
All Schools in North Dakota
| School Name | City | Type | Enrollment | Acceptance Rate | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Dakota | Grand Forks | Public | 9,981 | 76.9% | $63,552 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus | Fargo | Public | 9,471 | 95.0% | $62,203 |
| Bismarck State College | Bismarck | Public | 2,839 | - | $54,277 |
| University of Mary | Bismarck | Private NP | 2,416 | 75.3% | $60,909 |
| Minot State University | Minot | Public | 2,062 | 64.6% | $51,759 |
| North Dakota State College of Science | Wahpeton | Public | 1,909 | - | $50,513 |
| Dickinson State University | Dickinson | Public | 1,090 | 37.0% | $50,720 |
| University of Jamestown | Jamestown | Private NP | 1,041 | 88.1% | $56,621 |
| Valley City State University | Valley City | Public | 958 | 99.1% | $52,725 |
| Mayville State University | Mayville | Public | 733 | - | $47,828 |
| Williston State College | Williston | Public | 651 | - | $44,017 |
| Lake Region State College | Devils Lake | Public | 611 | - | $49,502 |
| United Tribes Technical College | Bismarck | Private NP | 569 | - | $25,292 |
| Turtle Mountain College | Belcourt | Private NP | 543 | - | $32,079 |
| Dakota College at Bottineau | Bottineau | Public | 399 | - | $40,576 |
| Sitting Bull College | Fort Yates | Public | 257 | - | $28,488 |
| Cankdeska Cikana Community College | Fort Totten | Public | 222 | - | $17,008 |
| Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College | New Town | Public | 161 | - | - |
| Trinity Bible College and Graduate School | Ellendale | Private NP | 141 | 25.8% | $35,604 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Fargo | Fargo | For-Profit | 95 | - | $31,497 |
| Josef's School of Hair Skin & Body-Fargo | Fargo | For-Profit | 72 | - | $27,987 |
| The Hair Academy | Bismarck | For-Profit | 65 | - | $31,370 |
| Josef's School of Hair Skin & Body-Grand Forks | Grand Forks | For-Profit | 61 | - | $27,987 |
| Lynnes Welding Training | Fargo | For-Profit | 55 | - | - |
| Rasmussen University-North Dakota | Fargo | For-Profit | 52 | - | $39,080 |
| Lynnes Welding Training-Bismarck | Bismarck | For-Profit | - | - | - |
Featured Colleges in North Dakota
Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side
Explore more North Dakota data
Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.
How to Compare Colleges
A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.
Financial Aid & Net Price
How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.
Understanding College Earnings Data
How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.
About This Data
According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What this means for North Dakota applicants
- North Dakota has 26 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
- Average reported admission rate across North Dakota colleges is 70.2% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
- State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.