by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in North Dakota, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. We have ranked **12** institutions by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual reviewed 12 colleges using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Not every student is looking for the same thing. Refine the list by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. Start by picking a degree level:
Looking to pit your favorite colleges against each other? We built a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
No school ranked higher than University Of North Dakota this year in North Dakota. University Of North Dakota is a public school based in Grand Forks, ND. About 60% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,951, with out-of-state students paying around $15,570. Early-career graduates earn a median of $64,378. Typical student debt is $25,110.
A rank of #2 makes North Dakota State University Main Campus one of the top colleges in North Dakota. Located in Fargo, ND, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a public institution. North Dakota State University Main Campus posts a six-year graduation rate of 64%. In-state tuition and fees average $10,910, with out-of-state students paying around $15,564. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,076. Graduates carry a median of $25,153 in student loans.
Bismarck State College came in at #3 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in North Dakota. Located in Bismarck, ND, Bismarck State College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,247, with out-of-state students paying around $7,331. Early-career graduates earn a median of $61,364. Graduates carry a median of $13,340 in student loans.
University Of Mary came in at #4 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in North Dakota. Located in Bismarck, ND, University Of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. In-state tuition and fees run about $22,356. Graduates go on to earn a median of $65,565 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $26,983.
A rank of #5 makes North Dakota State College Of Science one of the top colleges in North Dakota. This public school is set in Wahpeton, ND. In-state tuition and fees average $5,974, with out-of-state students paying around $6,973. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $48,989. Students borrow a median of $15,706 to complete a degree here.
Jamestown College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Set in Jamestown, ND, Jamestown College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $24,990. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $59,681. Graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Valley City State University landed the #7 spot in North Dakota this year. Valley City State University is a public school based in Valley City, ND. About 53% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $8,580, with out-of-state students paying around $13,544. Graduates go on to earn a median of $48,241 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $25,074 in student loans.
Minot State University landed the #8 spot in North Dakota this year. Based in Minot, ND, Minot State University is a public institution. Minot State University posts a six-year graduation rate of 45%. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,702. Graduates go on to earn a median of $50,645 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,788 to complete a degree here.
Dickinson State University placed #9 among the best colleges in North Dakota. Based in Dickinson, ND, Dickinson State University is a public institution. About 48% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $9,118. Median early-career earnings reach $51,049. Graduates carry a median of $27,266 in student loans.
Williston State College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Williston State College is a public school based in Williston, ND. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,114. Early-career graduates earn a median of $42,984. The median student debt is $15,400.
Lake Region State College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Devils Lake, ND, Lake Region State College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,520. Graduates go on to earn a median of $48,331 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $15,784.
Mayville State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Mayville, ND. Mayville State University graduates 40% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,979, compared with $11,237 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,971 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,464 to complete a degree here.
Rasmussen College North Dakota came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Set in Fargo, ND, Rasmussen College North Dakota is a private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,404. Graduates go on to earn a median of $45,427 early in their careers. The median student debt is $28,798.
Dakota College At Bottineau landed the #14 spot in North Dakota this year. Located in Bottineau, ND, Dakota College At Bottineau is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,388, with out-of-state students paying around $6,294. Median early-career earnings reach $66,195. The median student debt is $19,161.
Turtle Mountain Community College placed #15 among the best colleges in North Dakota. Located in Belcourt, ND, Turtle Mountain Community College is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,794.
Cankdeska Cikana Community College placed #16 among the best colleges in North Dakota. Cankdeska Cikana Community College is a public school based in Fort Totten, ND. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,950.
Sitting Bull College ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Fort Yates, ND, Sitting Bull College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,010.
Fort Berthold Community College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Set in New Town, ND, Fort Berthold Community College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,870.
United Tribes Technical College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Bismarck, ND, United Tribes Technical College is a private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,232.
Lynnes Welding Training ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Fargo, ND, Lynnes Welding Training is a private for-profit institution. Graduates go on to earn a median of $45,833 early in their careers. The median student debt is $3,700.
The Salon Professional Academy Fargo ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Fargo, ND, The Salon Professional Academy Fargo is a private for-profit institution. Graduates go on to earn a median of $26,936 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $10,750 to complete a degree here.
The Hair Academy did well this year, earning the #22 position. The Hair Academy is a private for-profit school based in Bismarck, ND. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $29,327. The Hair Academy students take on a median of $11,809 in debt.
Josefs West Academy did well this year, earning the #23 position. Set in Fargo, ND, Josefs West Academy is a private for-profit institution. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $28,331. The median student debt is $9,958.
Josefs School Of Hair Design Inc Grand Forks came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Set in Grand Forks, ND, Josefs School Of Hair Design Inc Grand Forks is a private for-profit institution. Median early-career earnings reach $28,331. Typical student debt is $9,958.
Trinity Bible College landed the #25 spot in North Dakota this year. Set in Ellendale, ND, Trinity Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 39%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,700.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
