Public · University

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota · Small city

#1 for grad earnings in North Dakota#3 graduation rate in North Dakota#5 most selective in North Dakota
76.9%
Admit rate
$18,551
Avg net price
60%
Graduation rate
$63,552
Median earnings

University of North Dakota is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Grand Forks, North Dakota (small city setting), enrolling 9,981 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 9,981 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 77% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Missouri Valley ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

About Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. Early French explorers, fur trappers, and traders called the area Les Grandes Fourches, meaning "The Grand Forks". By the 1740s, French fur trappers relied on Les Grandes Fourches as an important trading post. This was French colonial territory. Due at least in part to the presence of the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks offers a variety of arts and cultural events. The North Dakota Museum of Art, on the UND campus, brings many nationally touring exhibits to Grand Forks as well as the work of regional artists. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
73 miles to Fargo, ND
To Great Lakes shore
245 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Grand Forks (GFK)

How University of North Dakota compares

Selectivity76.9%

More selective than 51% · #5 most selective of 8 in North Dakota

Graduation rate60%

Higher than 61% · #3 of 9 in North Dakota

First-year retention84%

Higher than 74%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$63,552

Higher than 76% · #1 of 9 in North Dakota

Average net price$18,551

Cheaper than 57% · #7 cheapest of 9 in North Dakota

Median debt at graduation$22,057

Lower than 59%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment9,981

Larger than 89%

Percentiles compare University of North Dakota 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

13,967students
  • Undergraduate9,98171%
  • Graduate3,98629%

Undergraduates by gender

9,981undergrads
  • Women4,76248%
  • Men5,21952%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White78%
  • Black2.8%
  • Hispanic6.0%
  • Asian2.4%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
9,981
Graduate enrollment
3,986
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
17%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
21%
Median family income
$78,651
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$90,441
Endowment
$402,798,000

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 1,766 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From North Dakota43%
  • Other U.S. states55%
  • International2.3%

A national draw — only 43% of first-years come from North Dakota; 55% 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
76.9%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,951
Out-of-state tuition
$15,570
Room & board
$11,390
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$25,605
Average net price
$18,551

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)
60%
Graduated on time (4 years)
39%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
24%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$54,588
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$63,552
Median debt at graduation
$22,057
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
72%

About 21% 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
39%
Low-income (Pell)
37%
First-generation
36%

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
2,986
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
30%
Housing charge (year)
$5,610
Meal plan (year)
$5,436
Application fee
$35
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Missouri Valley Conference
Varsity athletes
506 (258 men · 248 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 (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)210
Football107
Basketball36
Softball34
Soccer33
Ice Hockey27
Volleyball21
Golf20
Tennis18

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
35
Property offenses (2022–2024)
25

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (15,019 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.

20reported offenses a year
12 violent a year8.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
6.0
Burglary
5.3
Fondling
4.7
Motor vehicle theft
3.0
Aggravated assault
1.0

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
$13,126
$30–48k
$12,251
$48–75k
$15,206
$75–110k
$18,981
$110k+
$20,730

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
$68,876

$15,206/year × about 4.5 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.

71%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$4,426
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 71% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,426. 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 1,720 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)
$63,552
Typical debt at graduation
$22,057
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
77%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 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
$55,046
Men
$72,010

Men out-earn women by $16,964 (31%) 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
80°F
Winter low
-1°F
Annual rain
22.8″
Annual snow
48.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
-10°40°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.04.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Grand Forks Univ (Nws), ND US station (1.2 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 North Dakota

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

Colleges near University of North Dakota

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.