What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in North Dakota
Community college students should think about which career field they’d like to enter after graduation. In 2021, the jobs with the highest median wages for associate degree holders in North Dakota were air traffic controllers, nuclear medicine technologists, mechanical engineering technologists, dental hygienists, and diagnostic medical sonographers.
Considering that the job market gets more competitive every year, students should also consider which career fields tend to have high employment rates. The occupations expected to have the most annual job openings in North Dakota for associate degree holders are preschool teachers (excluding special education), radiologic technologists, calibration technologists, paralegals and legal assistants, and architectural and civil drafters.
Job seekers in North Dakota may want to avoid fields that typically have low employment rates. Careers that require associate degrees and are expected to decline over the next 10 years include morticians, broadcast technicians, agricultural and food science technicians, human resources assistants (excluding payroll and timekeeping), and air traffic controllers.
What’s Next?
As you prepare for community college, you should consider how you plan to fund your education. We’ve assembled a list of federal and state resources that connect you to grants, scholarships, and other financial aid opportunities available to associate degree students in North Dakota.
- North Dakota University System. The North Dakota University System helps residents access funding for higher education by connecting students to federal scholarships and grants, state-based scholarships and loans, private and institutional awards, and work-study programs.
- Federal Student Aid. Around $120 billion worth of financial aid is provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid every year. Interested students can check their eligibility at the FAFSA4caster and apply by completing the online FAFSA form.
- CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop helps students find scholarships available for their state and degree level. It also provides helpful details about award amounts, qualification requirements, and application deadlines.