Best colleges in North Dakota, ranked by ROI
All 17 North Dakota institutions we profile, ranked by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. Federal net price and earnings; payback is our math. (Scorecard, 2026.)
$11,456
Median net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$50,513
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
10 yrs
Median payback
Our math, 2026
17
Colleges ranked
degreedividend.com
| # | College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bismarck State College | $10,270 | $54,277 | 3.5 yrs |
| 2 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | $15,543 | $62,203 | 4.5 yrs |
| 3 | University of North Dakota | $18,551 | $63,552 | 4.9 yrs |
| 4 | University of Mary | $17,770 | $60,909 | 5.7 yrs |
| 5 | University of Jamestown | $19,567 | $56,621 | 9.5 yrs |
| 6 | North Dakota State College of Science | $11,261 | $50,513 | 10.5 yrs |
| 7 | Valley City State University | $11,890 | $52,725 | 10.9 yrs |
| 8 | Minot State University | $12,703 | $51,759 | 14.9 yrs |
| 9 | Lake Region State College | $13,577 | $49,502 | 23.8 yrs |
| 10 | Dickinson State University | $14,092 | $50,720 | 23.9 yrs |
| 11 | Mayville State University | $11,456 | $47,828 | no payback |
| 12 | Williston State College | $5,932 | $44,017 | no payback |
| 13 | Dakota College at Bottineau | $10,039 | $40,576 | no payback |
| 14 | Turtle Mountain College | $3,428 | $32,079 | no payback |
| 15 | Sitting Bull College | $4,605 | $28,488 | no payback |
| 16 | United Tribes Technical College | $3,569 | $25,292 | no payback |
| 17 | Cankdeska Cikana Community College | $6,507 | $17,008 | no payback |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.