Best ROI Colleges in North Dakota
Looking for value in North Dakota? Start here. We ranked these colleges by ROI - earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%) - all from U.S. Department of Education data, with no prestige guesswork in the mix.
9 schools ranked
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
| # | School | ROI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND | 80 |
| 2 | University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND | 77 |
| 3 | University of Mary Bismarck, ND | 76 |
| 4 | Valley City State University Valley City, ND | 67 |
| 5 | Minot State University Minot, ND | 63 |
| 6 | Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND | 62 |
| 7 | University of Jamestown Jamestown, ND | 55 |
| 8 | Mayville State University Mayville, ND | 52 |
| 9 | Trinity Bible College and Graduate School Ellendale, ND | 18 |
Related Reading
How We Rank
Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.
Full methodology →Common Questions
What is the best best-ROI college in North Dakota?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus tops this list at 80/100 on our ROI scale, the highest among the 9 schools ranked here. Rankings weigh net price against median graduate earnings from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data - no prestige guesswork.
Which school on this list has the highest graduate earnings?
University of North Dakota reports the highest median earnings here, about $63,552 ten years after enrollment. In our view higher earnings alone don't make the best value, since what you pay matters just as much - which is why the ranking weighs cost too.
What is the most affordable school on this list?
Mayville State University carries the lowest net price among the ranked schools, about $11,456 a year after grants and scholarships. Net price is what students actually pay, not the published sticker price.
How are these schools ranked?
We score every school 0 to 100 on five quantifiable factors: earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%). All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, with no subjective reputation scoring. Of the 9 schools here, 6 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher.