The best college in North Dakota for 2027 is North Dakota State University in Fargo, followed by the University of North Dakota and Valley City State University. North Dakota is one of the least populous states, but it has a mix of small and midsize colleges and universities in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck, Minot, and Dickinson, plus several tribal colleges.
North Dakota residents can attend some Montana colleges and universities. South Dakota, Colorado and 19 other states are open through the Western Undergraduate Exchange and the Midwest Student Exchange Program, at no more than 150 percent of in-state tuition. This list covers 17 North Dakota schools.
Our order follows the UM World University Rankings methodology and our university rankings. Use it to compare costs, majors and campus life before you apply
The Best Colleges in North Dakota 2027
1. North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University was founded in 1890 as North Dakota Agricultural College and became North Dakota State University on November 8, 1960, after a statewide vote. This public land-grant R1 research university in Fargo had about 11,950 students in fall 2024.
Colleges cover arts and sciences, engineering, health professions and human sciences, business, and agriculture, food systems and natural resources. The Bison play NCAA Division I and have won more NCAA FCS football championships than any other program. Football moves to the Mountain West Conference in 2026. Alumni include former governor Doug Burgum and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar. Its formal name is North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
2. University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883 by the Dakota Territorial Assembly, six years before North Dakota became a state. This public R1 research university in Grand Forks enrolled about 15,800 students in fall 2025.
It holds the state’s only medical school and only law school, and the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences was the first in the country to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operation. The Fighting Hawks play NCAA Division I, with most teams in the Summit League and men’s hockey in the NCHC. Alumni include NBA coach Phil Jackson and astronaut Karen L. Nyberg.
3. Valley City State University
Valley City State University was founded in 1890 as Valley City State Normal School, a two-year teachers’ college. It has been Valley City State University since 1987. The public university is part of the North Dakota University System and had about 1,870 students in spring 2026.
The university offers more than 65 undergraduate programs, plus online graduate degrees such as a Master of Education, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and a Master of Science in Business Information Systems. The Vikings compete in the NAIA and offer 12 varsity sports. Notable alumni include former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Thomas Kleppe and Representative Earl Pomeroy.
4. United Tribes Technical College
United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck was founded in 1969 by an association of North Dakota’s native tribes. It is a private tribal land-grant community college that is owned and operated by five tribal nations.
Those nations are the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Spirit Lake Nation, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. It offers more than 20 programs of study, from certificates to two-year and four-year degrees. About 885 students attended in 2012. The T-Birds are the school’s nickname. The five tribal nations own and run the college, so its programs are shaped around tribal community needs.
5. Minot State University
Minot State University opened in 1913 as Minot Normal School, a two-year school that trained teachers for northwestern North Dakota. It became Minot State University in 1987. The public university sits at the base of North Hill in Minot.
Four academic schools offer more than 60 undergraduate majors, nine master’s degrees and one education specialist degree. The Beavers compete in NCAA Division II in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and the men’s ACHA hockey team won Division I national titles in 2013, 2019, and 2023. Alumni include actor Josh Duhamel and rocket-fuel scientist Mary Sherman Morgan. It was Minot State Teachers College in 1924 and Minot State College in 1964.
6. University of Mary
The University of Mary was founded in 1959 as Mary College, with roots dating back to an 1878 boarding school run by Benedictine sisters in Bismarck. It became the University of Mary in 1986 and is North Dakota’s only private Catholic university.
The rural campus sits about four miles south of Bismarck, and about 3,970 students enrolled in fall 2025. It offers over 65 undergraduate degrees, plus master’s and doctoral programs in nursing, business, education, and physical and occupational therapy, as well as a study-abroad campus in Rome. The Marauders play NCAA Division II in the Northern Sun conference. Senator Kevin Cramer is an alumnus.
7. Mayville State University
Mayville State University was founded in 1889 as a normal school under the North Dakota Constitution. It has been Mayville State University since 1987. The public university is on a 301-acre rural campus in Mayville and has about 1,130 students.
It began with education degrees and later added business administration in 1973 and computer studies in 1982. The Comets compete in the NAIA’s North Star Athletic Association, and the men’s basketball team was the 2007 NAIA Division II national runner-up. Alumni include Senator and governor Lynn Frazier and Marine Lieutenant General Emil R. Bedard. It was Mayville State Teacher’s College from 1925 and Mayville State College from 1964.
8. Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University counts June 24, 1918, its first day of classes, as its founding date, when it opened as Dickinson State Normal School. It received full university status in 1987. The public university sits on a 110-acre campus in Dickinson.
The university offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 75 fields across 10 academic departments, with business management, teacher education, and nursing as specialties. The Blue Hawks compete in 16 varsity sports in the NAIA. The women’s volleyball team won the school’s first national championship in 2000, and the men’s track and field team won NAIA titles from 2004 to 2006.
9. University of Jamestown
The University of Jamestown was founded in 1883 by the Presbyterian Church. The school closed during the 1893 depression, reopened in 1909, and became the University of Jamestown in August 2013. About 1,300 students attend the 110-acre campus in Jamestown.
It offers undergraduate degrees, a master’s program and an applied doctorate program. The Jimmies field 24 varsity sports and joined the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2025-26. Alumni include former congressman Richard K. Armey, NFL coach Ron Erhardt and federal judge Ralph R. Erickson, and two graduates have won Rhodes Scholarships. The football team reached the 1979 NAIA National Championships, and the 2023 NAIA women’s wrestling championship was held on campus.
10. Sitting Bull College
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council chartered Sitting Bull College in 1973 as Standing Rock Community College. It changed its name to Sitting Bull College in 1996. This public tribal land-grant college is in Fort Yates, with a campus in McLaughlin, South Dakota.
It serves the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and offers certificates and associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and master’s degrees in science and education. The figures reported show about 289 undergraduates and 28 graduate students enrolled. It began as Standing Rock College before becoming Sitting Bull College. It also offers certificates and Associate of Applied Science degrees.
11. Turtle Mountain College
Turtle Mountain College in Belcourt was founded in 1972 by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, about 10 miles from the Canadian border. It was Turtle Mountain Community College until it was renamed in 2025.
This private tribal land-grant college, designated in 1994, offers certificates; Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science degrees; and a Bachelor of Science. It is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. About 630 students were enrolled in 2012. Most of its credentials are two-year degrees and certificates, with the Bachelor of Science added for students who want to stay close to home.
12. Trinity Bible College
Trinity Bible College was founded in 1948 in Devils Lake as Trinity Bible Institute and settled in Ellendale in 1972. It is a private Bible college and graduate school affiliated with the Assemblies of God.
The main focus is biblical studies, with business, intercultural studies, ministry, teacher education and music also offered. Graduate programs include Master of Arts degrees in Missional Leadership, Rural Ministries, and Global Theology, as well as a research PhD in Practical Theology approved in 2019. Teams compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association. The football team competed in NCAA Division III from 1997 to 2007. The football program was discontinued in 2019.
13. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town was founded on May 2, 1973. This public tribal land-grant college was chartered by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation and has branches in Mandaree and White Shield.
It offers associate degrees and certificates and serves about 300 students. It became a land-grant college in 1994, along with 31 other tribal colleges, and is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. It is also one of seven tribal colleges offering a degree related to tribal administration. The college serves the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and is also a Space-grant affiliate in a rural setting.
14. NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health
NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health is the Bismarck location of North Dakota State University’s School of Nursing, located next to Sanford Health and providing students easy access to clinical rotations.
Students can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a Family Nurse Practitioner focus, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits the programs. Classes are small, with simulations and case studies alongside classroom and clinical work. The School of Nursing history dates to 1969, and NDSU, a public R1 research university, awards the degrees. Outreach includes a nurse practitioner residency fellowship and a rural advanced practice provider residency.
15. Rasmussen University – Fargo
Rasmussen University has a campus in Fargo. The school began in 1900 as the Rasmussen Practical School of Business in Stillwater, Minnesota, and became Rasmussen University in October 2020.
It is a private, for-profit university with more than 60 programs in eight areas of study, from certificates and diplomas to doctoral degrees, many of which are available online. The Higher Learning Commission accredits it. Rasmussen expanded its accelerated entrance options for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Fargo, and American Public Education is the parent organization. It was Rasmussen College until 2020, and the university has about 20 campuses in six states.
16. Bismarck State College Online
Bismarck State College in Bismarck was founded in 1939. It is a public comprehensive community college in the North Dakota University System, and in 2020 it became the state’s first polytechnic college.
The college offers more than 150 courses online. The college offers the first two years toward a bachelor’s degree in most fields, 14 or more bachelor’s degrees, about 35 technical programs and energy degrees such as nuclear power technology and renewable energy. About 4,200 students enrolled in 2024-25. The Mystics compete in the NAIA. The football program is set to return after a break that began in 1985, and the college has 17 varsity sports.
17. University of North Dakota Online
University of North Dakota Online is the online arm of the University of North Dakota, a public R1 research university in Grand Forks that was founded in 1883. It lists more than 235 online programs.
It offers bachelor’s and graduate-level degrees, along with online courses for personal and professional development. Self-paced, enroll-anytime courses take about three to nine months to complete, and semester-based courses follow the academic calendar. Both appear the same on the transcript, and online students earn a UND degree. UND is classified R1, its hockey team plays in the NCHC, the university holds the state’s only medical school and law school, and alumni include NBA coach Phil Jackson.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best college in North Dakota?
North Dakota State University in Fargo is first on our 2027 list, followed by the University of North Dakota and Valley City State University. NDSU is a public land-grant R1 research university with about 11,950 students.
What is the largest university in North Dakota?
The University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, with about 15,800 students in fall 2025. North Dakota State University follows with about 11,950 in fall 2024.
Does North Dakota have tribal colleges?
Yes. United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain College, and Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College are all tribal colleges; the last three are land-grant colleges.
Can North Dakota students attend college in other states at a discount?
Yes. Through the Western Undergraduate Exchange and the Midwest Student Exchange Program, residents can attend some colleges in Montana, South Dakota, Colorado and other states and pay no more than 150 percent of in-state tuition.
Where can you study nursing in North Dakota?
NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health in Bismarck offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The University of Mary and Rasmussen University in Fargo also offer nursing programs.
Can you study online at a North Dakota college?
Yes. The University of North Dakota lists more than 235 online programs, and Bismarck State College offers more than 150 online courses.
Top 17 Best Colleges in North Dakota 2027: Ranked List
- North Dakota State University
- University of North Dakota
- Valley City State University
- United Tribes Technical College
- Minot State University
- University of Mary
- Mayville State University
- Dickinson State University
- University of Jamestown
- Sitting Bull College
- Turtle Mountain College
- Trinity Bible College
- Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
- NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health
- Rasmussen University – Fargo
- Bismarck State College Online
- University of North Dakota Online
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