Best Online Colleges in North Dakota for 2024

Get detailed info on Best Online Colleges in North Dakota and their online degrees, financial aid and scholarships, acceptance rate, tuition and fees.

North Dakota has established itself in online education, despite being a small state. It has increased its state funding for higher education and set new quality standards for the same. It is a part of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education which provides less tuition cost for online education and provides quality education for the students outside North Dakota through online education.

The state provides financial aids for the students to reduce the cost of the tuition. The institutions also provide scholarships if the students are eligible.

It has received approximately $9.4 million for need-based grants and $8.4 million for non-need based grants during 2013-2014 according to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs.

There has been a 20.3% increase in the state spending on education which shows the commitment of the state towards its student’s educations.

Opportunities for college education in North Dakota

The state is home to 21 institutions which grant degrees, out of which 6 are private for-profits, 1 private-for-profits institutions and 14 are public schools. The total number of degrees awarded during 2015-2016 was 2,222 Associate’s Degrees, 6,298 Bachelor’s Degrees, 1625 Master’s Degrees, and 569 Doctorate Degrees. The total numbers of students enrolled during 2016 were 54,203, according to the National Center for Education and Statistics. 

North Dakota offers accredited degrees to the students indulged in online education and the courses have flexible timings. You can expect high-quality education with affordable tuition costs at the best online colleges in North Dakota. The state is working towards achieving great standards for online education and striving towards expanding it.

The following is a list of top online colleges in North Dakota in 2019.

University of Mary
#

1 University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota


Institution Type: Private Not-For-Profit

Financial Aid Percentage: 100%

Average Financial Aid: $9,569

Acceptance Rate: 77.00

Total Programs Offered (54)


15

Business Management Programs

8

Nursing Programs

8

Education Programs

23

Other Programs


University of Mary is a private university which has its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It offers 14 Master’s degrees and 3 Doctoral degrees in the area of Education, Nursing Practice, etc.

It has been providing online and distance education for the past 25 years and has been a leader in giving adult education. The courses given online are affordable as well. This institution is military friendly and gives an opportunity for military members to get a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree with benefits.

The annual tuition for a full-time student is around $15,440. There are more than 30 student organizations which will help them develop and sharpen their skills.

University of North Dakota (UND)
#

2 University of North Dakota (UND)

Grand Forks, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 68%

Average Financial Aid: $4,312

Acceptance Rate: 84.00

Total Programs Offered (63)


13

Education Programs

10

Engineering Programs

8

Nursing Programs

32

Other Programs


University of North Dakota is a research university which has its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It gives above 225 academic programs.

It has been giving education since 1911 with more than 200 courses. It has been recognized as the number 1 online college in North Dakota by various magazines and ranking websites. It provides military friendly degrees for the U.S. military and their dependents.

The institution gives 13% lesser tuition cost as compared to the others in the region. There are more than 250 student clubs on campus which gives an opportunity to the students to sharpen their skills.

Financial aid is given to the students to help them get a degree without any problem. It awards above 2000 scholarships every year to qualified students.

Valley City State University (VCSU)
#

3 Valley City State University (VCSU)

Valley City, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 97%

Average Financial Aid: $5,153

Acceptance Rate: 98.00

Total Programs Offered (110)


29

Education Programs

18

Business Management Programs

8

Environmental Science Programs

55

Other Programs


Valley City State University is a public institution that has its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It gives more than 80 undergraduate programs to the in the field of Kinesiology and Human Performance, Social Science, Communication, Arts and many more.

It provides online degree courses which can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. It is also a military-friendly institute which enables the military members to pursue their education.

The university helps the students by giving them some form of financing. There is a scholarship awarded to the athletic students. They receive up to $90,000 in the form of scholarships. There is another scholarship awarded to the students called V-500 scholarships which is about $150,000.

Mayville State University (MSU)
#

4 Mayville State University (MSU)

Mayville, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 86%

Average Financial Aid: $4,808

Acceptance Rate: 55.00

Total Programs Offered (23)


15

Education Programs

3

Business Management Programs

3

Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

2

Other Programs


Mayville State University is a public university which is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It provides Bachelor’s, Master’s, Associate in Applied Science, Education, and many other streams.

It provides many scholarships to students with high academic achievements and big involvement with demonstrated leadership qualities in various co-curricular activities. Mayville participates in the ‘Title IV Federal Financial Aid’ program and provides federal aid to students that include Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, TEACH Grant, and so on.

MSU has numerous clubs and student organizations that help to connect and ultimately helps students to succeed. The “Office of Extended Learning” provides various services to all their non-traditional students by giving them access to the distance student handbook, eBooks, 24/7 online chat support, and much more.

#

5 Lake Region State College (LRSC)

Devils Lake, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 79%

Average Financial Aid: $4,400

Acceptance Rate: Request Info

Total Programs Offered (7)


3

Applied Science Programs

1

Business Management Program

1

Arts Program

2

Other Programs


Lake Region State College is a public institution which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It offers an Associate's degree in Business Management, Accounting, Arts, Science, Applied Science, and many more. Around 90% and above LRSC students qualify for financial aid.

It provides numerous services for student success such as counseling, testing services, IT computer support, veteran student services, international student coordinator, etc.

To receive federal and/or state financial aid, a student must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or eligible non-citizen or non-resident, as determined by the state regulations. In order to receive federal, state or LRSC-sponsored aid, a student must be working towards a degree or certificate in an eligible program.

There are several clubs and organizations for every student and some even offer course credit for joining the clubs. There are also multiple intramural sports and activities this college has to offer for their students.

Minot State University (MSU)
#

6 Minot State University (MSU)

Minot, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 80%

Average Financial Aid: $4,627

Acceptance Rate: 60.00

Total Programs Offered (21)


8

Education Programs

7

Business Management Programs

3

Human Services Programs

3

Other Programs


Minot State University is a public institution which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and offers Associate, Bachelor's, Masters and Graduate Certificate in Business Management, Education, Human Services, Nursing and many more.

MSU Online empowers to continue your educational goals despite restrictions of location and time across the state. It provides additional services such as Driver Education, Prof. Comm. Education, Teacher Education, Office of Instructional technology, Academic testing center, etc. It provides various course delivery method like Blackboard Login, Interactive Video Network, independent study, Early Entry Level (Dual Credit), etc.

The university has many facilities for athletics and sports like a Baseball field, Football field, Basketball court, wellness center including locker rooms, workout area, etc.

#

7 Williston State College (WSC)

Williston, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 94%

Average Financial Aid: $6,404

Acceptance Rate: Request Info

Total Programs Offered (5)


2

Applied Science Programs

1

Business Management Program

1

Arts Program

1

Other Program


Williston State College is a public institute which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It offers an Associate's degree in Applied Science, Arts, Business Management, Science, and many more. WSC also offers a variety of quality programs completely online to help students achieve their goals from the convenience of their own place.

The college wants to ensure online students have access to necessary resources and support services. In order to provide support for its online instructors, the institute has created a webpage with helpful information regarding various online instruction.

It is dedicated to serving veterans interested to further their education, learn new skills, or take classes for personal interest. In order to best serve veterans or those aspiring to use veteran benefits, WSC has created the Re-InVET Yourself Program. It will provide individualized sessions to help prospective students with personalized application and admission checklist counseling, academic program and course advising tailored to meet personal goals.

#

8 North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS)

Wahpeton, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 61%

Average Financial Aid: $3,971

Acceptance Rate: Request Info

Total Programs Offered (17)


6

Information Technology Programs

5

Health Science Programs

3

Business Management Programs

3

Other Programs


North Dakota State College of Science is a public institution in the northern parts of Dakota. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and offers Associate and Certificate in Business Management, Applied Science, Arts, Health Science and many more.

The financial aid office help students to pay for college by providing them various aids which includes grants, scholarships, and low-interest loans. The aid source could be from the U.S. federal government, the state or the college.

The Wildcat Athletics Department provides a lot of facilities to their sports members such as staff offices, classrooms, multiple fitness facilities, the Ed Werre Arena, indoor pool and much more.

The NDSCS Division for Workforce Affairs is focused on providing comprehensive solutions to meet the workforce needs of both North Dakota and the Red River Valley.

#

9 Dakota College at Bottineau

Bottineau, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 78%

Average Financial Aid: $4,483

Acceptance Rate: Request Info

Total Programs Offered (40)


12

Business Management Programs

11

Applied Science Programs

7

Health Science Programs

10

Other Programs


Dakota College at Bottineau is a public college whose accreditation is given by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) offering Associate and Certificate in various disciplines such as Human Services, Education, Health Science, Accounting, Arts, and more.

Private Education Loans are available as an additional option to those students who already have been awarded financial aid but it could not cover all their educational expenses and the student has exhausted their eligibility for the federal loan programs.

There are numerous scholarships available for students which include scholarships in wildlife, medical fields, agriculture-related fields, and biology or science-related fields.
This institute has both men and women teams for various sports such as Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Volleyball, Softball.

The online resources available to Dakota College students provide millions of items such as magazines, journals, newspapers, and reference citations; many of which are full-text articles.

North Dakota State University (NDSU)
#

10 North Dakota State University (NDSU)

Fargo, North Dakota


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 64%

Average Financial Aid: $4,851

Acceptance Rate: 93.00

Total Programs Offered (40)


10

Health Science Programs

6

Business Management Programs

5

Human Services Programs

19

Other Programs


North Dakota State University is a public institution whose accreditation is given by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, Undergraduate Certificate, and Graduate Certificate in Sociology, Nursing, Human Services, Music, Education and more.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.73 is required to take admission here. It has been ranked in the ‘Top 100 Public Research Institution in the United States’ for research and development.

The internship program at NDSU enables the students to implement the classroom learnings with practical application and develop their skills for a professional future. The program also helps the students to expand their social and professional network along with earning academic credit and engaging in professional practice.