Public · University

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota · Remote town

#2 best value in North Dakota#4 graduation rate in North Dakota#5 for grad earnings in North Dakota
99.1%
Admit rate
$11,890
Avg net price
53%
Graduation rate
$52,725
Median earnings

Valley City State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Valley City, North Dakota (remote town setting), enrolling 958 undergraduates.

PublicSmall · 958 undergradsRemote townAccessible · 99% admitNAIA Division II · North Star Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Valley City State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
99.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
830–1070
Avg GPA (est.)
2.98

Enter a test score to see where you land against Valley City State University's admitted students.

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

About Valley City, North Dakota

Valley City is a city in and the county seat of Barnes County, North Dakota, United States. Valley City was established in 1874 with the building of a railroad station. The town was originally named Worthington after the town's promoter, George Worthington. The present name is for the city's location in the valley of the Sheyenne River. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
57 miles to Fargo, ND
To Great Lakes shore
278 miles
Nearest airport
32 miles to Jamestown (JMS)

How Valley City State University compares

Selectivity99.1%

More selective than 6% · #8 most selective of 8 in North Dakota

SAT average1041

Higher than 14%

Graduation rate53%

Higher than 47% · #4 of 9 in North Dakota

First-year retention71%

Higher than 33%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$52,725

Higher than 46% · #5 of 9 in North Dakota

Average net price$11,890

Cheaper than 85% · #2 cheapest of 9 in North Dakota

Median debt at graduation$20,369

Lower than 73%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment958

Larger than 36%

Percentiles compare Valley City 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

1,113students
  • Undergraduate95886%
  • Graduate15514%

Undergraduates by gender

958undergrads
  • Women51354%
  • Men44546%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White80%
  • Black3.9%
  • Hispanic3.2%
  • Asian0.9%
  • Other or multiracial12%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
958
Graduate enrollment
155
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
17%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
16%
Median family income
$59,878
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$62,415
Endowment
$13,627,134

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 194 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From North Dakota67%
  • Other U.S. states33%

A regional draw: about 65% of first-years come from North Dakota, the rest from elsewhere.

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
99.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
830–1070
SAT average
1041
SAT reading
420–530
SAT math
410–540
ACT composite
17–24
Average GPA (estimated)
2.98

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,514
Out-of-state tuition
$13,544
Room & board
$8,580
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$20,468
Average net price
$11,890

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)
53%
Graduated on time (4 years)
37%
First-year retention
71%
Transferred to another college
21%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$45,820
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$52,725
Median debt at graduation
$20,369
Students with federal loans
30%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
65%

About 16% 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
37%
Low-income (Pell)
44%
First-generation
44%

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
462
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
48%
Housing charge (year)
$2,800
Meal plan (year)
$4,480
Application fee
$35
Athletics
NAIA Division II
Football conference
North Star Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
290 (216 men · 74 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 (7)

Football110
Baseball52
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)43
Basketball37
Volleyball20
Softball17
Golf11

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
3
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,806 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.

1.0reported offenses a year
1.0 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
0.7
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
$7,879
$30–48k
$7,787
$48–75k
$10,841
$75–110k
$12,538
$110k+
$14,570

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
$48,243

$10,841/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.

94%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,880
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 94% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,880. 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 185 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)
$52,725
Typical debt at graduation
$20,369
Debt vs. one year's pay
39%
Out-earn a HS grad
71%

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
$43,752
Men
$58,560

Men out-earn women by $14,808 (34%) 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
81°F
Winter low
-2°F
Annual rain
21.5″
Annual snow
34.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
-10°40°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.83.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Valley City 3 Nnw, ND US station (2.7 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 Valley City State University

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

Colleges near Valley City 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.