2026 Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota
Nursing degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best nursing schools.
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Best Schools for Nursing in North Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall nursing education in North Dakota.
Top Schools in Nursing
Leading the list is University Of North Dakota, our #1 school for nursing. University Of North Dakota is a large public school located in the city of Grand Forks. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of North Dakota awarded about 296 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing degree from University Of North Dakota earn around $153,282 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,792.
More information about a degree in nursing from University Of North Dakota
University Of Mary came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best nursing schools. University Of Mary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Bismarck. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. There were roughly 135 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University Of Mary in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing degree from University Of Mary earn around $93,565 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $28,578.
Read more about the nursing program at University Of Mary
North Dakota State University Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in nursing, ranking #3. North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Fargo. About 64% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 199 nursing students who graduated with this degree at North Dakota State University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing degree from North Dakota State University Main Campus earn around $88,835 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $30,500 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing program at North Dakota State University Main Campus
Students looking for a strong nursing program will find one at Minot State University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Minot, Minot State University is a mid-sized public university. The six-year graduation rate is 45%. There were roughly 70 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Minot State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing program make about $72,522 in their early career. Minot State University graduates carry a median of $27,111 in student loans.
See the full nursing program report for Minot State University
A rank of #5 makes Lake Region State College one of the top schools for nursing. Lake Region State College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Devils Lake. About 37 nursing degrees were awarded at Lake Region State College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from Lake Region State College generally make around $68,214. Students borrow a median of $27,310 to complete this degree.
Get the full nursing details for Lake Region State College
Mayville State University earned the #6 position for nursing this year. Set in the rural area of Mayville, Mayville State University is a small public institution. Mayville State University graduates 40% of students within six years. There were roughly 28 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mayville State University in the most recent data year. Nursing graduates of Mayville State University earn a median of $77,525 early in their careers. Mayville State University graduates carry a median of $28,250 in student loans.
Read more about the nursing program at Mayville State University
Rasmussen College North Dakota earned the #7 position for nursing this year. Set in the city of Fargo, Rasmussen College North Dakota is a small private for-profit institution. There were roughly 101 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rasmussen College North Dakota in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing degree from Rasmussen College North Dakota earn around $77,596 in the first couple years of their career. Rasmussen College North Dakota graduates carry a median of $34,866 in student loans.
See the full nursing program report for Rasmussen College North Dakota
Bismarck State College placed #8 among the best nursing schools. Bismarck State College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Bismarck. Bismarck State College awarded about 43 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from Bismarck State College generally make around $66,335. Bismarck State College graduates carry a median of $25,382 in student loans.
Read more about the nursing program at Bismarck State College
Jamestown College placed #9 among the best nursing schools. Located in the town of Jamestown, Jamestown College is a small private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. There were roughly 17 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Jamestown College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing degree from Jamestown College earn around $74,094 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $28,000.
More information about a degree in nursing from Jamestown College
Dickinson State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best nursing schools. Set in the town of Dickinson, Dickinson State University is a small public institution. Dickinson State University graduates 48% of students within six years. Dickinson State University awarded about 16 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from Dickinson State University generally make around $68,151. Dickinson State University graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans.
See the full nursing program report for Dickinson State University
North Dakota State College Of Science earned the #11 position for nursing this year. Located in the town of Wahpeton, North Dakota State College Of Science is a mid-sized public university. About 25 nursing degrees were awarded at North Dakota State College Of Science in the most recent year. Students who receive their nursing degree from North Dakota State College Of Science earn around $59,229 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $30,098.
See the full nursing program report for North Dakota State College Of Science
Williston State College came in at #12 for nursing this year. Set in the town of Williston, Williston State College is a small public institution. There were roughly 26 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Williston State College in the most recent data year. Nursing graduates of Williston State College earn a median of $60,944 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing program at Williston State College
Dakota College At Bottineau placed #13 among the best nursing schools. This small public university is located in the rural area of Bottineau. There were roughly 26 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Dakota College At Bottineau in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing program make about $71,421 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $28,334.
See the full nursing program report for Dakota College At Bottineau
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 13 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
