College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.
Dickinson State University: Darrin Miller vs Tristen Stuhr 0247 (49276410757)
Photo: Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional college

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $14,092 a year

Median debt at graduation: $18,442 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.51%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.67%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$7,350

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$10,479
$30,001–$48,000$8,094
$48,001–$75,000$12,985
$75,001–$110,000$15,484
Over $110,000$16,922

Full cost of attendance before aid: $20,567 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
1,392
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 45% · Women 55%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
31%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
50%
Total students1,453
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$14,092
Cost of attendance (per year)$20,567
Median federal debt at graduation$18,442
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
51%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
41%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
40%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
76%
First-year retention67%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$50,720
Admission rate37%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$35
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $874 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants21%

Value: Very good · Top 22% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$81,904
Finance$76,040
Business administration$67,169
Accounting$66,147
Human resources$64,488
Agriculture$52,529
Interdisciplinary studies$42,639

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Arts management, Biology, Business (general), Chemistry, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Criminal justice, Data Processing, English, History, Information science, International business, Kinesiology and exercise science, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Political science, Psychology, Secondary education, Social sciences, Teacher education, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business36%
Education18%
Interdisciplinary studies8%
Parks, recreation and fitness7%
Health professions7%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates17%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older15%
On-campus room and board (per year)$8,564
SportsNAIA · North Star Athletic Association
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 4%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time50%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$16,215IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 28% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceBismarck Municipal Airport (BIS)About 97 miles away
Town population25,357Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreMinneapolisAbout 477 miles away
Typical weather15°F in January · 69°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Dickinson, ND

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.710.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.710.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Dickinson State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 39% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Dickinson State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $14,092 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Dickinson State University?
Dickinson State University admitted 37% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Dickinson State University’s graduates do?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $50,720; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,442.

Ask the school

Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.

Sign in to ask a question

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

About this school’s data

Colleges like this one

The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.

More in North Dakota · North Dakota rankings

0 school selectedCompare

What would it cost your family?

Pick your family’s yearly income. Each college then shows what families like yours paid on average after grants and scholarships (federal data).

Reach, Target or Likely?

Enter an SAT or ACT to sort every college in this search.

Will you get in?

Enter your SAT or ACT. We compare it with the middle range of students the college admitted.