Public · University

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota · Remote town

#2 most selective in North Dakota#4 best value in North Dakota#5 graduation rate in North Dakota
37.0%
Admit rate
$14,092
Avg net price
51%
Graduation rate
$50,720
Median earnings

Dickinson State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Dickinson, North Dakota (remote town setting), enrolling 1,090 undergraduates.

PublicSmall · 1,090 undergradsRemote townSelective · 37% admitNAIA Division I · North Star Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowy

About Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, North Dakota, United States. Dickinson was founded in 1881. Dickinson was named for its founder, W. S. Dickinson, a native of Malone, New York. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
95 miles to Bismarck, ND
To Great Lakes shore
505 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt (DIK)

How Dickinson State University compares

Selectivity37.0%

More selective than 91% · #2 most selective of 8 in North Dakota

Graduation rate51%

Higher than 41% · #5 of 9 in North Dakota

First-year retention67%

Higher than 25%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$50,720

Higher than 40% · #7 of 9 in North Dakota

Average net price$14,092

Cheaper than 76% · #4 cheapest of 9 in North Dakota

Median debt at graduation$18,442

Lower than 83%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment1,090

Larger than 40%

Percentiles compare Dickinson State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in North Dakota.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,161students
  • Undergraduate1,09094%
  • Graduate716%

Undergraduates by gender

1,090undergrads
  • Women63859%
  • Men45241%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White77%
  • Black2.8%
  • Hispanic6.5%
  • Asian1.4%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,090
Graduate enrollment
71
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
21%
First-generation students
31%
Students over 25
15%
Median family income
$58,846
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$64,314
Endowment
$21,961,463

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 228 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From North Dakota48%
  • Other U.S. states48%
  • International4.4%

A regional draw: about 48% of first-years come from North Dakota, the rest from elsewhere.

4% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
37.0%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$9,118
Room & board
$8,564
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$20,567
Average net price
$14,092

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
51%
Graduated on time (4 years)
23%
First-year retention
67%
Transferred to another college
18%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$48,628
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$50,720
Median debt at graduation
$18,442
Students with federal loans
34%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
72%

About 28% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
23%
Low-income (Pell)
37%
First-generation
37%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
383
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
35%
Housing charge (year)
$3,000
Meal plan (year)
$4,740
Application fee
$35
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Football conference
North Star Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
530 (336 men · 194 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Football120
Track and Field (Indoor)72
Track and Field (Outdoor)72
Wrestling72
Basketball53
Baseball41
Softball23
Volleyball23
Golf22
Other Sports17
Cross Country15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,410 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.7reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
1.0
Rape
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,479
$30–48k
$8,094
$48–75k
$12,985
$75–110k
$15,484
$110k+
$16,922

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$62,533

$12,985/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

80%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,248
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 80% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,248. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 230 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$50,720
Typical debt at graduation
$18,442
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
69%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$45,486
Men
$61,730

Men out-earn women by $16,244 (36%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
3°F
Annual rain
17.6″
Annual snow
35.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
-10°40°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.63.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Dickinson, ND US station (1.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Dickinson State University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Dickinson State University side by side →

Colleges near Dickinson State University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.