North Dakota State University-Main Campus: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Reno, North Dakota · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public university in Reno, North Dakota that admits about 85% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $15,402 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Public Health, Psychology, General and Biology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 61% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 6.1 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public institution located in Reno, North Dakota. For the most recent reporting cycle, North Dakota State University-Main Campus admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 85%. Admitted students typically post an ACT composite around 23. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,402 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether North Dakota State University-Main Campus is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does North Dakota State University-Main Campus weight in admissions?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores North Dakota State University-Main Campus typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | 1070 |
| 50th percentile | 1165 |
| 75th percentile | 1270 |
| % submitting SAT | 14% |
| 25th percentile | 19 |
| 50th percentile | 22 |
| 75th percentile | 26 |
| % submitting ACT | 59% |
- • Test-blind: North Dakota State University-Main Campus does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not considered
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.
| Top 10% of class | 25.7% |
| Top 25% of class | 55.8% |
| Top 50% of class | 83.4% |
| % submitting class rank | 49.7% |
How much does North Dakota State University-Main Campus actually cost?
Published tuition is $8,994 for in-state students and $25,950 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,700 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $15,402 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 24% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $4,327 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $22,959 |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $15,402 |
| Application fee | $0 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for North Dakota State University-Main Campus
| Regular deadline | 04/07 |
| Notification date | Rolling, upon application |
| Reply deadline | 06/15 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/15 |
Will my child graduate from North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at North Dakota State University-Main Campus
The most popular undergraduate programs at North Dakota State University-Main Campus, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Public Health, Psychology, General and Biology, General. Across all programs, North Dakota State University-Main Campus confers roughly 1,570 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $49,525 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health | 353 | — |
| Psychology, General | 223 | $49,525 |
| Biology, General | 177 | $58,918 |
| Marketing | 174 | $68,166 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 168 | $93,888 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 165 | — |
| Business/Commerce, General | 158 | $64,915 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 152 | $77,047 |
Is North Dakota State University-Main Campus safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), North Dakota State University-Main Campus disclosed 95 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 6.1 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 21 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
About 19% of undergraduates at North Dakota State University-Main Campus live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. 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
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like North Dakota State University-Main Campus recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about North Dakota State University-Main Campus
What GPA do I need for North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does North Dakota State University-Main Campus typically admit?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does North Dakota State University-Main Campus actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at North Dakota State University-Main Campus after grants and scholarships is $15,402 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is North Dakota State University-Main Campus realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus accepts about 85% of applicants out of roughly 17,679 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is North Dakota State University-Main Campus test-optional?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus is test-blind: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them.
What is the graduation rate at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
About 61% of students at North Dakota State University-Main Campus graduate within six years, and 42% finish in four years. 80% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does North Dakota State University-Main Campus look for in applicants?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is North Dakota State University-Main Campus a public or private school, and where is it located?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public institution located in Reno, North Dakota.
What are the most popular majors at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
The largest undergraduate majors at North Dakota State University-Main Campus by annual graduates are Public Health, Psychology, General and Biology, General. The school awards about 1,570 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is North Dakota State University-Main Campus safe? What is its campus crime rate?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus reported 95 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 6.1 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at North Dakota State University-Main Campus?
At North Dakota State University-Main Campus, 19% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by North Dakota State University-Main Campus, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.