More selective than 43% 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 $25,605. College Scorecard.
Higher than 85% of North Dakota colleges we cover and 62% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of North Dakota colleges we cover and 78% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of North Dakota acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,437 applicants, University of North Dakota admitted 5,733 and 1,766 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of North Dakota 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 University of North Dakota costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of North Dakota took 4.4 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 | $13,126 | $57,623 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $12,251 | $53,782 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $15,206 | $66,754 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $18,981 | $83,327 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $20,730 | $91,005 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (42% 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 ($63,552) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ND (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,942 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.
University of North Dakota majors, earnings & careers
University of North Dakota offers 81 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 18
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Health & Medicine · 11
- Science & Math · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Engineering · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of North Dakota
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $106,162 | $27,000 |
| Air Transportation | $104,472 | $22,769 |
| Petroleum Engineering | $99,932 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $89,704 | $27,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $87,828 | $26,600 |
| Chemical Engineering | $87,309 | $26,950 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $86,268 | $25,625 |
| Accounting | $82,187 | $24,780 |
Quick list of all 81 majors
- Accounting$82,187
- Air Transportation$104,472
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$50,191
- Business Administration$68,932
- Business Economics—
- Chemical Engineering$87,309
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$87,828
- Classics—
- Communications$56,065
- Computer and Information Sciences$86,268
- Computer Systems Analysis$72,006
- Criminal Justice$55,251
- Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis—
- Dietetics$56,130
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,955
- Education (Subject Teaching)$51,253
- Electrical Engineering$106,162
- English$44,961
- Entrepreneurship$53,454
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$65,856
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geography—
- Geological / Geophysical Engineering—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Graphic Communications—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Resources$64,688
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$75,202
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$71,538
- Linguistics—
- Marketing$64,912
- Mathematics$71,665
- Mechanical Engineering$89,704
- Medical Laboratory Science$78,774
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$70,947
- Music—
- Nursing$79,624
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Petroleum Engineering$99,932
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Physics—
- Political Science$66,535
- Psychology$55,333
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$54,558
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security$62,726
- Social Sciences$52,063
- Social Work$56,001
- Sociology$49,665
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$60,352
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$56,218
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 →Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Grand Forks
Overall prices in the Grand Forks, ND-MN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,014. Housing costs 40% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 23 inches of rain a year, 49 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Grand Forks County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Grand Forks County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of North Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Dakota | 77% | $18,551 | 60% | $63,552 | This school |
| North Dakota State University | 95% | $15,543 | 64% | $62,203 | |
| Minot State University | 65% | $12,703 | 45% | $51,759 | |
| Bismarck State College | — | $10,270 | 47% | $54,277 | |
| Valley City State University | 99% | $11,890 | 53% | $52,725 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of North Dakota would cost you $3,008 more per year than North Dakota State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of North Dakota, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,481).
- North Dakota State University gives aided families $1,119 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Dakota resident | University of North Dakota | North Dakota State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,951 | $11,110 | −$159 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $800 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $11,046 | $9,565 | +$1,481 |
| Personal & travel | $3,446 | $3,476 | −$30 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$638 | −$1,235 | +$597 |
| Sticker price | $25,605 | $23,716 | +$1,889 |
| Average grants | −$7,054 | −$8,173 | +$1,119 |
| You pay | $18,551 | $15,543 | +$3,008 |
“+” means University of North Dakota 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 University of North Dakota
What is the University of North Dakota acceptance rate?
University of North Dakota accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,733 of 7,437 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of North Dakota cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,605 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,551 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,126 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,730.
How much do University of North Dakota graduates earn?
Former University of North Dakota students earn a median $63,552 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of North Dakota graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a University of North Dakota degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of North Dakota costs about $66,754 after grants ($15,206 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $63,552 ten years after starting, $22,942 more than high school graduates in North Dakota ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 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: “University of North Dakota: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-dakota (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).