University of North Dakota

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of North Dakota offers over 225 fields of study, including aerospace, business, engineering, law, medicine, nursing, education, the arts, and more.
  • UND has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1, and 38.8% of its classes have fewer than 20 students. The College of Engineering & Mines at UND has a student-faculty ratio of 21:1. 
  • UND offers many resources for students, including counseling, student health, an LGBTQ+ office, an International Center, and student government
  • UND’s graduation rate is 61%, and the average cost of attendance after financial aid is $18,000.

Online Degrees at University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota appears in our ranking of the Best Petroleum Engineering Schools Online.

The logo for UND

The University of North Dakota is a public research university in Grand Forks, ND. The university offers more than 225 academic programs across nine schools and colleges in areas ranging from accounting and aerospace sciences to chemical engineering and early childhood education.

Featured Programs

Many University of North Dakota programs are offered fully or partially online. Nearly 100 of the university’s degrees can be completed online, including bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs. Programs are offered either as self-paced courses or on a standard semester schedule, enabling busy students to schedule their college degrees around workload and other obligations. Students not needing a degree can earn online certificates and engage in online professional development courses for continuing education.

The university’s Bachelor of Science in Data Science can be completed online. This program teaches students a mix of computer science, business analytics and data science, combining classroom instruction with access to the university’s big data hub. Students who have completed the program can go on to earn a Master’s of Science in Data Science online as well.

University of North Dakota’s online Master’s in Business Administration program also takes advantage of the university’s data hub, teaching business analytics alongside more traditional offerings like entrepreneurship. The university also maintains a business school in Norway, providing students with the ability to study business overseas.

The university offers an online or on-campus Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, with coursework in thermodynamics, kinetics, experiment design, and others. The university is home to an Energy and Environmental Research Center, providing students in chemical engineering with high-tech equipment and world-class research support.

About the University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883 to provide education in the liberal arts to residents of what was at the time the Dakota Territory. Since then, the university has expanded its offerings considerably and today it teaches a broad array of courses in arts, the sciences, education, business, and medicine.

In addition to its many academic programs, there are a number of nationally recognized centers and institutes associated with the University of North Dakota. These include the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the Center for Biomedical Research, the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, the Northern Plains Indian Law Center, the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems and several others.

The U.S. News and World Report ranks the University of North Dakota 128th in top public schools. The university’s online programs perform well, with the U.S. News and World Report ranking the university 24th in its list of best online graduate business programs and 12th in its list of best online graduate business programs for veterans. Outside of traditional rankings, The Princeton Review notes that the university is “internationally recognized” for its aerospace program.

University of North Dakota Accreditation Details

The University of North Dakota is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Many of the university’s programs hold accreditations from other bodies. Some of these bodies include the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the American Bar Association (Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar), the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) and the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.

A full list of accreditations is available on the university’s accreditation page.

University of North Dakota Application Requirements

High school graduates who wish to apply to the University of North Dakota need to submit a high school transcript, ACT or SAT score and a safety and security form. Freshmen applicants who are over the age of 25, or who have completed 24 transferable college credits, are not required to submit a standardized test score.

Graduate student applicants must complete an online application through the university’s Graduate School website. Applications for graduate school must include official transcripts of all college and university coursework, a statement of goals, graduate admissions tests and three letters of recommendation. Some programs have additional requirements on top of these.

The application process is identical for online and on-campus students, with the exception of those who wish to take self-paced courses or professional development courses online. Students of these courses are not required to apply; they need only register for their chosen courses.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The estimated tuition for an undergraduate student who is a resident of North Dakota is roughly $342 per credit hour, with an average annual cost of $8,211. Graduate tuition for North Dakota residents is $439 per credit hour, with an average annual cost of $10,533. Tuition for nonresidents is higher, with an estimated cost per credit hour of $513 for undergraduates, or $12,317 annually, and $658 for graduate students, or $15,800 annually. The rate for online enrollment is the same as resident tuition for on-campus students.

Programs such as the Master’s in Business Administration or Aerospace degrees are likely to have higher costs. Applicants who want an accurate estimate should visit the university’s admissions website, which has a cost estimator and net price calculator that can be used to get a better estimate of what a University of North Dakota degree will cost depending on each student’s unique situation.

Tuition may be cheaper than average for those who have served in the military. The university also has an agreement with Minnesota to offer students from that state a reduced tuition rate that is closer to its resident tuition.

The university offers over $100 million in financial aid each year, including loans, scholarships, and grants. Loans are available from the U.S. federal government and private lenders. There are also needs-based grants offered through the federal government, as well as a North Dakota State Student Incentive Grant. In addition, the University of North Dakota itself awards 2,000 academic scholarships each year, with academic focuses in a number of areas.

With its expertise in several fields and its many online programs, the University of North Dakota is a good option for students who wish to complete a degree online.