Private nonprofit · University

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota · Fringe rural

#1 graduation rate in North Dakota#3 for grad earnings in North Dakota#4 most selective in North Dakota
75.3%
Admit rate
$17,770
Avg net price
67%
Graduation rate
$60,909
Median earnings

University of Mary is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Bismarck, North Dakota (fringe rural setting), enrolling 2,416 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,416 undergradsFringe ruralAccessible · 75% admitNCAA Division II with football · Northern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Mary's admitted students.

Admit rate
75.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1110–1340
Avg GPA (est.)
3.34

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Mary's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Mary's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. The Hidatsa name for Bismarck is mirahacii arumaaguash ("Place of the tall willows"); the Arikara name is ituhtaáwe [itUhtaáwe]. The Belle Mehus Auditorium, named after a local piano teacher, is a 1914 historic building in downtown Bismarck and a center for arts in the area. Performances of Northern Plains Dance and the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra are held there. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
6 miles to Bismarck, ND
To Great Lakes shore
409 miles
Nearest airport
3 miles to Bismarck (BIS)

How University of Mary compares

Selectivity75.3%

More selective than 54% · #4 most selective of 8 in North Dakota

SAT average1159

Higher than 48%

Graduation rate67%

Higher than 71% · #1 of 9 in North Dakota

First-year retention84%

Higher than 72%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,909

Higher than 69% · #3 of 9 in North Dakota

Average net price$17,770

Cheaper than 61% · #6 cheapest of 9 in North Dakota

Median debt at graduation$24,000

Lower than 45%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment2,416

Larger than 63%

Percentiles compare University of Mary 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

3,456students
  • Undergraduate2,41670%
  • Graduate1,04030%

Undergraduates by gender

2,416undergrads
  • Women1,57365%
  • Men84335%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White79%
  • Black2.6%
  • Asian1.6%
  • Other or multiracial17%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,416
Graduate enrollment
1,040
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
21%
First-generation students
18%
Students over 25
12%
Median family income
$77,856
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$73,674
Endowment
$75,162,860

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 559 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From North Dakota34%
  • Other U.S. states64%
  • International1.8%

A national draw — only 34% of first-years come from North Dakota; 64% arrive from other states.

2% 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
75.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1110–1340
SAT average
1159
SAT reading
580–680
SAT math
530–660
ACT composite
21–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.34

Cost

In-state tuition
$22,356
Room & board
$9,276
Books & supplies
$1,222
Total cost of attendance
$33,672
Average net price
$17,770

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)
67%
Graduated on time (4 years)
57%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
20%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$50,191
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,909
Median debt at graduation
$24,000
Students with federal loans
44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
70%

About 10% 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
57%
Low-income (Pell)
48%
First-generation
53%

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
1,441
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
60%
Housing charge (year)
$3,620
Meal plan (year)
$5,340
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Varsity athletes
584 (333 men · 251 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)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)255
Football90
Baseball49
Wrestling32
Basketball31
Soccer31
Softball27
Golf23
Swimming20
Volleyball20
Tennis6

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 10 campuses (3,861 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.

1.3reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
0.7
Fondling
0.3
Aggravated assault
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
$11,593
$30–48k
$12,282
$48–75k
$13,087
$75–110k
$16,001
$110k+
$20,063

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
$55,310

$13,087/year × about 4.2 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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$12,001
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from University of Mary itself, averaging $12,001, which softens the sticker price.

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 457 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)
$60,909
Typical debt at graduation
$24,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
39%
Out-earn a HS grad
80%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.9 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
$58,377
Men
$68,225

Men out-earn women by $9,848 (17%) 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
85°F
Winter low
2°F
Annual rain
19.1″
Annual snow
50.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
-10°40°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.73.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bismarck, ND US station (3.3 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 University of Mary

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

Colleges near University of Mary

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.