North Dakota State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 95%, North Dakota State University is an accessible public university in North Dakota. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what North Dakota State University weighs, where it ranks among North Dakota schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1260, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at North Dakota State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into North Dakota State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into North Dakota State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into North Dakota State University?
North Dakota State University admits most qualified applicants (around 95%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for North Dakota State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is North Dakota State University hard to get into?
North Dakota State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 95% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into North Dakota State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at North Dakota State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. North Dakota State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for North Dakota State University?
North Dakota State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1260. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at North Dakota State University.
Your chances at North Dakota State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at North Dakota State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at North Dakota State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1200 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1200 SAT, the middle of North Dakota State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1260 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/north-dakota-state-university.
How to get into North Dakota State University
Built from North Dakota State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into North Dakota State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at North Dakota State University carries about a 2.96 core GPA and a 1210 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
North Dakota State University rates rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by North Dakota State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.ndsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to North Dakota State University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, North Dakota State University received 7,331 applications and admitted 7,024, an acceptance rate of 95.8%. 2,214 enrolled. Only about 32% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. North Dakota State University enrolls about 9,471 undergraduates in total, 51% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for North Dakota State University?
On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 19 to 25. North Dakota State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What North Dakota State University looks for
What North Dakota State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, North Dakota State University leans most on rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from North Dakota State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at North Dakota State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does North Dakota State University cost after financial aid?
North Dakota State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $23,716 per year. Tuition and fees are $11,110 for ND residents and $15,764 for out-of-state students, a $4,654 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,543 a year, and it ranges from $9,370 for families earning under $30,000 to $18,856 for families earning over $110,000. 20% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do North Dakota State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median North Dakota State University student who received federal aid earns $62,203 a year, up from $54,312 at six years. 64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $23,199; 52% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How North Dakota State University compares in North Dakota
North Dakota State University ranks #7 most selective of 8 schools in North Dakota in our database.
Among the 8 North Dakota schools we track, North Dakota State University ranks #7 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Dickinson State University (37%) and Minot State University (65%) sit nearby, which makes North Dakota a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to North Dakota State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around North Dakota State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Fresno State University, University of New Mexico, and Cal State San Marcos. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is North Dakota State University's acceptance rate?
North Dakota State University admitted 7,024 of 7,331 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 95.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 32% of admitted students enrolled.
Is North Dakota State University test-optional?
Yes. North Dakota State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does North Dakota State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at North Dakota State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $15,543 a year against a sticker price of about $23,716. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $9,370 on average.
What do North Dakota State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering North Dakota State University are $62,203 a year among students who received federal aid, and 64% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does North Dakota State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, North Dakota State University weighs rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does North Dakota State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, North Dakota State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at North Dakota State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at North Dakota State University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to North Dakota State University?
As a public university, North Dakota State University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for North Dakota State University?
North Dakota State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.