Most Affordable Public Universities in North Dakota
State-run four-year universities, ranked by net price after aid. In-state students usually pay far less than the published out-of-state rate.
9 public universities in North Dakota are listed here, 9 of them reporting a net price. They run from $4,605 a year at Sitting Bull College to $18,551 at University of North Dakota, with a middle of about $11,890.
The cheapest are Sitting Bull College, Cankdeska Cikana Community College and Bismarck State College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Public universities in North Dakota, cheapest first · 9
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- Sitting Bull College
- Cankdeska Cikana Community College
- Bismarck State College
- Mayville State University
- Valley City State University
- Minot State University
- Dickinson State University
- North Dakota State University-Main Campus
- University of North Dakota
← All colleges in North Dakota
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable public university in North Dakota?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Sitting Bull College at about $4,605 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do public universities in North Dakota cost on average?
- Across the 9 public universities in North Dakota that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $11,890 a year after aid, running from $4,605 to $18,551.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 15% to 69%, with a middle of about 21%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
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