Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
University of North Dakota ranked first and North Dakota State University ranked second for the best colleges in North Dakota. The state is well known for its Native American culture and heritage, which is evident in its music, food, and tribal college system. Students here can explore the historical sites of the Lewis and Clark trail and Enchanted Highway.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$17,681
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$63,552
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate62%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,875
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$62,203
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate64%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,191
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$60,909
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate56%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,672
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$52,725
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate49%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,121
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$51,759
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate56%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,586
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$56,621
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,112
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$50,720
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate41%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,298
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,828
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate40%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in North Dakota for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$39,250
Certificate$56,297
Associate$53,281
Bachelor$59,138
Master$61,400
Cost of attending college in North Dakota
In-state-tuition$9,999
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$11,444
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in North Dakota
In North Dakota the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Education-grades & methods. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 732graduates
2Registered Nursing 670graduates
3Education-grades & methods 428graduates
4Air Transportation 310graduates
5Education-by subject area 290graduates
6General Psychology 286graduates
7Mechanical Engineering 257graduates
8Accounting 241graduates
9Biology 235graduates
10Health & Fitness 213graduates
Fastest growing careers
North Dakota job growth
10.1%
Nurse Practitioners
57.1%
Statisticians
42.9%
Physician Assistants
36%
Medical and Health Services Managers
35.8%
Audiologists
33.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
33.3%
Drafters, All Other
33.3%
Psychiatrists
33.3%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
30.6%
Respiratory Therapists
29.4%
Best bachelor’s degrees in North Dakota
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Program NamesEconomic Score
1Pharmaceutical Sciences 0.82
2Computer Engineering 1.04
3Computer Science 1.54
4Chemical Engineering 1.56
5Industrial Engineering 1.77
6Electrical Engineering 1.83
7Construction Mgmt. 1.93
8Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. 1.96
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in North Dakota are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
29.7%
Filters
North Dakota
10.1%
