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FEMA - 29438 - Photograph by Brenda Riskey taken on 05-17-2006 in North DakotaPhoto: Brenda Riskey · Public domain
Colleges in and near Grand Forks

Grand Forks is a college town: 20 of every 100 residents are students

The University of North Dakota (9,298 students on campus) is inside the city. Across North Dakota, 8 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town20% of residents are studentsUniversity of North Dakota

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Grand Forks. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
9,298 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
University of North Dakota
Residents in college
20%
Above ND (8%)
Nearest community college
83.6 mi
Lake Region State College · $5,520 tuition
Nearest public university
0.7 mi
University of North Dakota · $10,951 in-state
Students on campus in Grand Forks
9,298
next to 60,365 residents

What stands out about college in Grand Forks

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town20 of every 100 Grand Forks residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.A university in Grand ForksThe University of North Dakota has 9,298 students on campus in Grand Forks, 60% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of North DakotaLiving in North Dakota, the University of North Dakota charges $10,951 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $15,570. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 83.6 miles awayLake Region State College in Devils Lake: tuition and fees $5,520 a year for North Dakota residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Grand Forks

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

20 of every 100 Grand Forks residents are in college (ND: 8).

9,298students on campus at University of North Dakota, next to 60,365 residents (dorm students count as residents)
8,320college students live in Grand Forks households rather than dorms
29.6median age · ND 35.9
52%of residents are men · ND 51% (±0.5 points)
54%of homes rented · ND 37%
$980median rent · 3% above the state
Grand ForksGrand Forks, ND
Cost of living$980/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundBHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Grand Forks’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 15.4% of Grand Forks residents are below the poverty line, 9.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 45% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 20%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Grand Forks’ median age is 29.6 (North Dakota 35.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Grand Forks

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Grand Forks.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of North DakotaGrand Forks
University or collegeCommunity college
University of North DakotaUniversity or college · Public · 9,298 on campus · In Grand Forks77%admitted$19knet price60%graduate$64kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Grand Forks’ median household income ($63,627) falls.

University of North DakotaIn Grand Forks · sticker $25,605$15,206a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Grand Forks: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota60% graduate$64k earnings$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Grand Forks

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of North Dakota, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Transportation 17%Health professions 14%Business 13%Engineering 9%Psychology 6%Liberal arts 5%Everything else 35%

Biggest programs

Air Transportation337 graduates a year
$104k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing118 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Psychology, General117 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities105 graduates a year
$72k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations93 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out
Marketing87 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out
Biology, General74 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering65 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Grand Forks

Is Grand Forks a college town?

Yes. 20 of every 100 Grand Forks residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 8 across North Dakota. The University of North Dakota has 9,298 students on campus, next to 60,365 residents.

What colleges are in Grand Forks?

The University of North Dakota is inside the city. Lake Region State College is 83.6 miles away in Devils Lake.

Why is Grand Forks’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 15.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 9.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Grand Forks, and what does it cost?

Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, 83.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,520 a year for North Dakota residents; the federal net price, $13,577, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of North Dakota?

The University of North Dakota admitted 77% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Grand Forks. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →