Why This Matters
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15 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN NORTH DAKOTA
According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in North Dakota include 9 public and 6 private non-profit options.
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$10,472 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in North Dakota is $10,472, according to College Board.
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$15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID
In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in North Dakota. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of postsecondary education programs in the central United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Colleges in North Dakota
Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From College in North Dakota
When deciding on which state you’d like to study in, you should consider your post-graduation job opportunities. As of May 2022, the five largest industries in North Dakota are office and administrative support occupations, transportation and material moving, sales, food preparation and serving, and construction and extraction.
Graduates who have a bachelor’s degree have many career opportunities available to them in the state. The five fastest-growing careers for this education level in North Dakota are medical and health services managers, social science research assistants, logisticians, interpreters and translators, and software developers.
To gain even more insight into the job outlook in North Dakota, you should become familiar with the largest employers in the state. The top employers in North Dakota include North Dakota State University, Sanford Broadway Medical Center, Altru Health System, the Basin Electric Power Cooperative, and Microsoft.
What’s Next?
Financial aid is available from both federal and state agencies to help cover the costs associated with higher education. The resources listed below can assist you with finding potential funding opportunities for your studies:
- North Dakota University System. The North Dakota University System’s website provides a comprehensive overview of the state’s higher education system and information about how to cover academic-related costs.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.