10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$38,962at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, ND · 60 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 58 · Federal debt reported for 44
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$38,962 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
11.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−16%Estimated return after 10 years
$65,321Observed earnings · year 5
$5,803Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $9,741 per year to reach it.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $9,928 housing and food allowance plus $3,476 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$23,210
$8,000Annual price−$8,790
$16,000Current college-wide context−$40,790
$24,000Annual price−$72,790
$32,000Annual price−$104,790
$40,000Annual price−$136,790
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Land-grant institution
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
78 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in North Dakota run 11% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$15,543Average net price / year
$23,716Cost of attendance
$23,199Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$246/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$65,321Median earnings · year 5 after completion
63.9%Completion rate
95.0%Admission rate
1,150Average SAT score
23ACT midpoint
9,471Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about North Dakota State University-Main Campus
What does North Dakota State University-Main Campus cost?
North Dakota State University-Main Campus reports an average annual net price of $15,543 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do North Dakota State University-Main Campus graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $65,321 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do North Dakota State University-Main Campus graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $23,199. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at North Dakota State University-Main Campus worth the same?
No. The current release contains 60 field-and-degree records for North Dakota State University-Main Campus; 58 report year-4 earnings and 44 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
13,088Students enrolled at any point
10,551Undergraduate students
2,537Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
56% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
336 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
79% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$57,837Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$59,861Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$66,538Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income71%
Middle income82%
Higher income86%
Undergraduate student composition
White84%
Black3%
Hispanic4%
Asian2%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$53,030Year 1
$67,679Year 4
$65,321Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · First Professional Degree$135,1332Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · Bachelor's Degree$125,1753Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$119,8744Construction Engineering Technology/Technician · Bachelor's Degree$95,0195Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$94,5106Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$92,8787Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$91,8768Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$87,702Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Agricultural Production OperationsBachelor's Degree · $83,779 reported+56%vs same-degree national median$23,250federal debt2General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $81,273 reported+56%vs same-degree national median$25,222federal debt3Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $62,285 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$25,000federal debt4Agricultural Business and ManagementBachelor's Degree · $77,296 reported+16%vs same-degree national median$19,500federal debt5Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's Degree · $50,701 reported+15%vs same-degree national median$24,250federal debt6Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · $57,663 reported+12%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in ND
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Grand Forks, ND
University of North Dakota
- Annual net price
- $18,551
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $65,538
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -19%
Bismarck State College
- Annual net price
- $10,270
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,739
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -20%
Minot State University
- Annual net price
- $12,703
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,840
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -49%
Dickinson State University
- Annual net price
- $14,092
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,564
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -60%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 60 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | First Professional Degree | $135,133 | Not available | Not reported |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | Bachelor's Degree | $125,175 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $119,874 | Not available | 13 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Bachelor's Degree | $95,019 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $94,510 | $22,000 | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $92,878 | $21,511 | 2 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $91,876 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $87,702 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $87,562 | $25,959 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $84,529 | Not available | Not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $84,016 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $83,992 | $25,500 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Production Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $83,779 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $81,273 | $25,222 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $80,522 | $25,542 | 0 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $77,589 | $28,039 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $77,296 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $76,527 | $25,500 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $74,888 | $23,600 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $73,935 | $30,500 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $71,027 | $25,000 | 5 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Master's Degree | $67,825 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $67,405 | $23,250 | 6 |
| Architecture | Master's Degree | $66,004 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $65,292 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Architecture | Bachelor's Degree | $65,148 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Bachelor's Degree | $64,014 | $25,543 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $63,602 | Not available | 0 |
| Homeland Security | Bachelor's Degree | $62,649 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Agriculture, General | Bachelor's Degree | $62,285 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Business/Corporate Communications | Bachelor's Degree | $62,181 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $59,153 | Not available | Not reported |
| Agricultural Mechanization | Bachelor's Degree | $58,690 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $58,662 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $58,252 | $23,125 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $57,720 | Not available | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $57,663 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $56,299 | Not available | Not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | Bachelor's Degree | $56,197 | $23,250 | 0 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $56,040 | $27,750 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every North Dakota State University-Main Campus program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.