North Dakota State University-Main Campus (NDSU) vs University of North Dakota (UND)

North Dakota State University-Main Campus and University of North Dakota, both esteemed institutions in North Dakota, offer distinct educational experiences. NDSU boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to UND's (84%), making it slightly easier to gain admission. NDSU's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population. In terms of academics, NDSU excels in engineering, agriculture, and nursing, while UND shines in law, medicine, and education. Both universities offer a vibrant campus life, with NDSU having a larger Greek life presence. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more differences and similarities between these two prominent North Dakota universities and make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus logo

North Dakota State University-Main Campus

University of North Dakota logo

University of North Dakota

Overview

Location Fargo, North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 76.0% 77.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 95.5% 89.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
SAT range 1096 - 1313 1110 - 1290
ACT range 20 - 26 20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 1.0% 6.0%
Students submitting ACT score 63.0% 59.0%
Total number of applicants 8,143 5,962
Total number of admissions given out 7,773 5,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,491 1,755
Yield rate 32.0% 33.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $23,879

Out of state: $28,354
In state: $24,764

Out of state: $29,205
Average net price $16,677 $17,425
Tuition
In state: $8,951

Out of state: $13,426
In state: $8,882

Out of state: $13,323
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,100

Meal plan: $4,778
Room/dormitory: $4,770

Meal plan: $5,152
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

91.0%
Average amount $4,089
83.0%
Average amount $5,576
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,226
55.0%
Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans 28.0%
Average amount $11,868
24.0%
Average amount $15,124

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 10,199
Men 49.8% Women 50.2%
9,718
Men 56.6% Women 43.4%
Graduate students 2,262
Men 47.4% Women 52.6%
4,054
Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 64.0% 60.5%
International students 5.5% 6.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,563 4,588
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Minnesota North Dakota Wisconsin South Dakota California North Dakota Minnesota California Wisconsin Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 64.9% 61.8%
Dropout rate 10.7% 9.4%
Transferred out 22.3% 26.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,561
  • Year 2: $117,751
  • Year 3: $125,733
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,645
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $116,073
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $72,828
  • Year 3: $93,292
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,521
  • Year 2: $66,401
  • Year 3: $74,017
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,785
  • Year 2: $64,865
  • Year 3: $72,508
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,224
  • Year 2: $65,409
  • Year 3: $72,103
Agricultural Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,019
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $69,536
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,818
  • Year 2: $59,576
  • Year 3: $68,476
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,258
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $68,399
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,793
  • Year 2: $58,866
  • Year 3: $67,481
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,600
  • Year 2: $107,376
  • Year 3: $116,029
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,048
  • Year 2: $101,645
  • Year 3: $112,295
Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,111
  • Year 2: $72,762
  • Year 3: $94,157
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,951
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $80,971
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,457
  • Year 2: $66,325
  • Year 3: $79,432
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,521
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $78,447
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,317
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $75,504
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,166
  • Year 2: $64,608
  • Year 3: $73,223
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,089
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $70,144
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,206
  • Year 2: $55,547
  • Year 3: $69,655

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.