2022 best colleges in North Dakota
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Admission rate: 87%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $15,738
Payback: 2.7 Years
Earnings: $57,299
Vs. state average: + $3,593
Economic score: 2.53
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, North Dakota
Admission rate: 95%
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $16,584
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $56,246
Vs. state average: + $2,540
Economic score: 2.85
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota
Admission rate: 72%
Grad rate: 55%
Net cost: $17,410
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $55,720
Vs. state average: + $2,014
Economic score: 2.88
Dickinson State University
Dickinson, North Dakota
Admission rate: 99%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $10,855
Payback: 2.9 Years
Earnings: $48,098
Vs. state average: - $5,608
Economic score: 3.28
Valley City State University
Valley City, North Dakota
Admission rate: 81%
Grad rate: 46%
Net cost: $11,981
Payback: 3.7 Years
Earnings: $45,429
Vs. state average: - $8,277
Economic score: 4.43
University of Jamestown
Jamestown, North Dakota
Admission rate: 72%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $19,413
Payback: 5.4 Years
Earnings: $49,050
Vs. state average: - $4,656
Economic score: 5.89
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota
Admission rate: 78%
Grad rate: 43%
Net cost: $11,898
Payback: 3.7 Years
Earnings: $45,458
Vs. state average: - $8,248
Economic score: 4.41
Mayville State University
Mayville, North Dakota
Admission rate: 54%
Grad rate: 42%
Net cost: $12,378
Payback: 5.0 Years
Earnings: $42,211
Vs. state average: - $11,495
Economic score: 6.32
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Ellendale, North Dakota
Admission rate: 100%
Grad rate: 38%
Net cost: $19,978
Payback: 23.2 Years
Earnings: $35,040
Vs. state average: - $18,666
Economic score: 35.48