More selective than 71% of North Dakota colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $19,339. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of North Dakota colleges we cover and 33% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 50% of North Dakota colleges we cover and 45% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 745 applicants, Minot State University admitted 538 and 365 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 930–1140 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
MSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for North Dakota residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What MSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Minot State University took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in North Dakota. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,492 | $42,999 | 3.9 years |
| $30–48k | $10,388 | $47,058 | 4.2 years |
| $48–75k | $11,359 | $51,456 | 4.6 years |
| $75–110k | $13,674 | $61,943 | 5.6 years |
| $110k+ | $15,632 | $70,813 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($51,759) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ND (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,149 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
MSU majors, earnings & careers
Minot State University offers 49 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 7
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at MSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $80,533 | $27,111 |
| Finance | $69,738 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $67,554 | $26,343 |
| Accounting | $66,707 | — |
| Marketing | $61,964 | $21,129 |
| Business Administration | $60,988 | $23,250 |
| Psychology | $60,575 | $23,962 |
| Social Work | $51,931 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 49 majors
- Accounting$66,707
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- American Sign Language—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biology—
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$60,988
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications—
- Communications Technologies / Technicians and Support Services, Other—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$67,554
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,941
- Education (Subject Teaching)$50,105
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Finance$69,738
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,239
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$48,885
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing$61,964
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Music—
- Nursing$80,533
- Physics—
- Psychology$60,575
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$51,931
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Social Work → Social worker
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Minot
Overall prices in the Minot, ND area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,049. Housing costs 37% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 17 inches of rain a year, 45 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Ward County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ward County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MSU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in North Dakota by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minot State University | 65% | $12,703 | 45% | $51,759 | This school |
| Bismarck State College | — | $10,270 | 47% | $54,277 | |
| Mayville State University | — | $11,456 | 41% | $47,828 | |
| Sitting Bull College | — | $4,605 | 22% | $28,488 | |
| Dickinson State University | 37% | $14,092 | 51% | $50,720 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Minot State University would cost you $2,433 more per year than Bismarck State College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Minot State University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,455).
- Minot State University gives aided families $1,135 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Dakota resident | MSU | BSC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,702 | $5,247 | +$3,455 |
| Books & supplies | $1,100 | $1,100 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $8,058 | $8,300 | −$242 |
| Personal & travel | $3,902 | $3,400 | +$502 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,423 | −$2,276 | −$147 |
| Sticker price | $19,339 | $15,771 | +$3,568 |
| Average grants | −$6,636 | −$5,501 | −$1,135 |
| You pay | $12,703 | $10,270 | +$2,433 |
“+” means MSU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about MSU
What is the MSU acceptance rate?
Minot State University accepts 65% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 538 of 745 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 930–1140 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
How much does Minot State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $19,339 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,703 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,492 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,632.
How much do MSU graduates earn?
Former Minot State University students earn a median $51,759 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MSU graduation rate?
45% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 66% return for their second year.
How long does a MSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Minot State University costs about $51,456 after grants ($11,359 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,759 ten years after starting, $11,149 more than high school graduates in North Dakota ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 4.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Minot State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/minot-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).