NDSU: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

NDSU is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. For the most recent reporting cycle, NDSU admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 95%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1280 and an ACT composite around 23. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,543 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for NDSU?

59% of enrolled students at NDSU had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.52, according to its 2024-2025 Common Data Set.

What does NDSU weight in admissions?

NDSU reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). What the weights mean

SAT and ACT scores NDSU typically admits

The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–25. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does NDSU actually cost?

Published tuition is $11,110 for in-state students and $15,764 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $9,928 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $15,543 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 20% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for NDSU

Will my child graduate from NDSU?

These predict outcomes at NDSU better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at NDSU

The most popular undergraduate programs at NDSU, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Mechanical Engineering and Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services. Across all programs, NDSU confers roughly 983 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $71,767 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is NDSU safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), NDSU disclosed 28 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 3.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 8 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at NDSU?

About 37% of undergraduates at NDSU live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 10% of men join a fraternity and 5% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in North Dakota parents ask about

• University of North Dakota
  77% acceptance

Colleges that admit at a similar rate

• Baker University
  94% acceptance · Kansas
• University of New Mexico-Main Campus
  95% acceptance · New Mexico
• Wichita State University
  94% acceptance · Kansas
• Belmont University
  95% acceptance · Tennessee
• University of Kansas
  93% acceptance · Kansas
• University of Montana
  96% acceptance · Montana
• University of Kentucky
  93% acceptance · Kentucky

Common questions parents ask about NDSU