R1 ResearchPublicLand-grant

North Dakota State University-Main Campus

Fargo, North Dakota·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·ndsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
64%
-6.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
11,952
peer median 27,093
Avg net price
$16,334
-$1.3k vs R1 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
7,228
7,228 candidates competed
Admitted
6,864
95.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,197
32.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
64%-6.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
46%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
64%
Full-time retention
78%

Pell equity

6.0pp gap
Pell recipients
55%
Non-Pell
61%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 218 Title IV programs, 56 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 161 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
218
Passing
56
25.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.5% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.5%
-0.1pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

218programs
  • Passing56 · 25.7%
  • No Data161 · 73.9%
  • Failing1 · 0.5%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
1
Watch
3
Safe
52
No data
161

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

57
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-4.0%
$57,720 vs $60,112
Architecture
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
+9.8%
$66,004 vs $60,112
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+16.2%
$40,460 vs $34,808
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+21.4%
$56,299 vs $46,391
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+23.5%
$42,973 vs $34,808
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
Master's Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+26.4%
$67,825 vs $53,672
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+27.5%
$59,153 vs $46,391
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+27.7%
$44,457 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-4.0%
$2,392

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

48
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
69%
$38,809 debt · $56,299 earn
Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
55%
$74,501 debt · $135,133 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
53%
$21,405 debt · $40,460 earn
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
51%
$27,000 debt · $52,570 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
51%
$28,296 debt · $56,040 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
48%
$24,250 debt · $50,052 earn
Zoology/Animal Biology
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
47%
$23,999 debt · $50,701 earn
Hospitality Administration/Management
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
47%
$24,250 debt · $51,277 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1915Next review Aug 2036

Programmatic accreditations · 12

Action history · 17

  1. Jan 2026Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  3. Jan 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  4. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. Apr 2023Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,647
$30–48k$12,429
$48–75k$14,166
$75–110k$17,427
$110k+$19,218

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$16,334
-$1,319vs R1 Research median $17,654
Federal loans
52.8%
In-state tuition
$10,857
Out-of-state
$15,511

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 2,579 students received $14.1M in Pell grants, alongside $42.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,579
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$14.1M
$14,144,484 total
Direct Loans
$42.4M
7,827 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
2k
21
2k
22
2k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$10.6M
2,662 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$20.7M
4,503 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.0M
411 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.8M
238 loan awards
Grad PLUS$146K
13 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 2,970 borrowers who entered repayment, 35 (1.1%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.1%
-1.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,970
Defaulted
35
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.6%
2017
3.1%
2018
2.6%
2019
1.1%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at NDSU

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs170
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

2,211 total completions
01Business
46621.1%
02Health Professions
38417.4%
03Engineering
35215.9%
04Agriculture
22110.0%
05Biological Sciences
1587.1%
06Family/Consumer Sci
1567.1%
07Education
1315.9%
08Architecture
1265.7%
09Computer Sciences
1115.0%
10Psychology
1064.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
11,952
12-mo unduplicated
13,041
Undergraduate
10,508
Graduate
2,533

Gender split

Men
48%6,321
Women
52%6,720

Race / ethnicity composition

White
85.4%
Two or more
4.4%
Black
3.2%
Hispanic
3.1%
Asian
1.6%
Unknown
0.9%
Non-resident
0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
430
282 M · 148 W
Women athletes
34.4%
Athletic aid
$5.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$30.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.2M
$1.9M
Recruiting expense
$316K
$175K
Head-coach salaries
$191K
$108K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
123 M · 140 W
$2.2M
Football
125 M ·
$6.5M
Baseball
39 M ·
$1.2M
Wrestling
34 M ·
$896K
Soccer
· 29 W
$1.0M
Basketball
14 M · 13 W
$3.5M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.63
20 offenses · 12,242 students

3-year trend

1.792 yrs ago1.441 yr ago1.63Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
61
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
5
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
9
Motor vehicle theft
8
Burglary
2
Aggravated assault
1

By location

20total
  • On campus15
  • Non-campus5

Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs120
Liquor3287

Residence-hall fires

  • University Village 105-1161 fire
    CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • University Village 190-1951 fire
    Smoking materialsDamage $1,000-$9,999

Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
465

NDSU vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions NDSU selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNorth Dakota State University-Main Campus
64%11,952$16,334R1 Research
Kansas State University
71%81.7%20,295$17,883R1 Research
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
67%87.5%24,393$17,424R1 Research
University of Kansas
69%93.5%29,792$17,365R1 Research
Iowa State University
75%88.7%30,380$18,165R1 Research
University of Iowa
75%83.6%30,779$21,398R1 Research
Peer group median70%87.5%27,093$17,654

Frequently asked questions about North Dakota State University-Main Campus

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about NDSU.

What is the graduation rate at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?

North Dakota State University-Main Campus reports a 6-year graduation rate of 64% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend North Dakota State University-Main Campus?

North Dakota State University-Main Campus reports a total enrollment of 11,952 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?

The average net price at North Dakota State University-Main Campus is $16,334 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?

North Dakota State University-Main Campus's yield rate is 32.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is North Dakota State University-Main Campus located?

North Dakota State University-Main Campus is located in Fargo, North Dakota 58108-6050.

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