Best Community Colleges in North Dakota 2024

Badge for BEST IN NORTH DAKOTA COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in North Dakota offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.

Best Community Colleges in North Dakota

Sort by:
  1. North Dakota State College of Science
  2. Williston State College
  3. Sitting Bull College
  4. Dakota College at Bottineau
  5. Lake Region State College
  6. Turtle Mountain Community College
  7. United Tribes Technical College
  8. Cankdeska Cikana Community College
  9. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
  1. North Dakota State College of Science
  2. Sitting Bull College
  3. Williston State College
  4. United Tribes Technical College
  5. Lake Region State College
  6. Turtle Mountain Community College
  7. Dakota College at Bottineau
  8. Cankdeska Cikana Community College
  9. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
    1. Williston State College 20 to 1
    2. Lake Region State College 20 to 1
    3. United Tribes Technical College 12 to 1
    4. Cankdeska Cikana Community College 10 to 1
    5. Dakota College at Bottineau 10 to 1
    6. Turtle Mountain Community College 10 to 1
    7. North Dakota State College of Science 10 to 1
    8. Sitting Bull College 7 to 1
    9. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College 5 to 1
    1. Williston State College $5,768
    2. Lake Region State College $5,436
    3. North Dakota State College of Science $4,996
    4. Dakota College at Bottineau $4,530
    5. United Tribes Technical College $4,252
    6. Sitting Bull College $4,010
    7. Cankdeska Cikana Community College $3,950
    8. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College $3,870
    9. Turtle Mountain Community College $2,482
    1. Sitting Bull College $6,300
    1. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
    2. Cankdeska Cikana Community College
    3. United Tribes Technical College
    4. Turtle Mountain Community College
    5. Lake Region State College
    6. Dakota College at Bottineau
    7. Sitting Bull College
    8. Williston State College
    9. North Dakota State College of Science
    1. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
    2. Cankdeska Cikana Community College
    3. Dakota College at Bottineau
    4. Turtle Mountain Community College
    5. Lake Region State College
    6. United Tribes Technical College
    7. Williston State College
    8. Sitting Bull College
    9. North Dakota State College of Science
      1. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College 5 to 1
      2. Sitting Bull College 7 to 1
      3. Cankdeska Cikana Community College 10 to 1
      4. Dakota College at Bottineau 10 to 1
      5. Turtle Mountain Community College 10 to 1
      6. North Dakota State College of Science 10 to 1
      7. United Tribes Technical College 12 to 1
      8. Williston State College 20 to 1
      9. Lake Region State College 20 to 1
      1. Turtle Mountain Community College $2,482
      2. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College $3,870
      3. Cankdeska Cikana Community College $3,950
      4. Sitting Bull College $4,010
      5. United Tribes Technical College $4,252
      6. Dakota College at Bottineau $4,530
      7. North Dakota State College of Science $4,996
      8. Lake Region State College $5,436
      9. Williston State College $5,768
      1. Sitting Bull College $6,300

      Colleges and Universities in North Dakota

      The majority of the higher learning institutes in North Dakota are public schools and almost all of the schools could be considered small schools, serving less than 5,000 students. The state’s two largest schools, however, the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and North Dakota State University in Fargo, each have a student population around 12,000 students. Tuition at both of these schools comes in just below the national average at $9,000.

      Find college admissions consultants in your state.

      At UND and NDSU, students can study fields such as engineering, chemistry, law, and education. Additionally, students can attend one of the state’s five private schools, three of which have religious affiliations. Students who attend these schools can pursue degrees in fields like nursing, religious studies, education, and earth sciences. North Dakota also offers a private tribal college, United Tribes Technical College, located in the state’s capital, Bismarck, where students can expect to pay around $4,000 in tuition fees.

      As the country’s number one producer of honey and sunflowers, and home to part of the international Peace Garden, North Dakota’s landscape is a thing of natural beauty. This magnificent state also has its fair share of one-of-a-kind attractions, including the Badlands Dinosaur Museum, which features world-class minerals and fossils, and the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Heritage Center, which gives an inside look at this Native American tribe’s unique culture and traditions. The state also boasts 19 colleges and universities for students hoping to earn a higher education degree.

      Discover more about earning your degree in North Dakota by exploring some of the state’s top programs.


      What are North Dakota’s Colleges & Universities?

      North Dakota’s Best Overall

      North Dakota's Best Community Colleges Badge
      Download Badge

      We’ve identified 9 community colleges in North Dakota. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in North Dakota.

      Best Community Colleges in North Dakota

      1. Tuition + fees

        $6K

        Graduation

        43%

        Student body

        3K

        Career Outlook for degree at North Dakota State College of Science

        Cost of Degree: $5,880
        Expenses: $11,270
        Starting Salary: $47,700
        Cost Recoup Time: 8 years
        Paid back at 15% of annual salary
        What is North Dakota State College of Science known for?

        North Dakota State College of Science’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      2. #2

        Williston State College

        Williston , ND

        Tuition + fees

        $6K

        Graduation

        33%

        Student body

        1K

        Career Outlook for degree at Williston State College

        Cost of Degree: $5,768
        Expenses: $12,556
        Starting Salary: $45,800
        Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
        Paid back at 15% of annual salary
        What is Williston State College known for?

        Williston State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      3. #3

        Sitting Bull College

        Fort Yates , ND

        Tuition + fees

        $4K

        Graduation

        21%

        Student body

        <1K

        Career Outlook for degree at Sitting Bull College

        Cost of Degree: $4,010
        Expenses: $10,580
        Starting Salary: $21,400
        Cost Recoup Time: 13 years
        Paid back at 15% of annual salary
        What is Sitting Bull College known for?

        Sitting Bull College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      4. Tuition + fees

        $5K

        Graduation

        33%

        Student body

        1K

        Career Outlook for degree at Dakota College at Bottineau

        Cost of Degree: $5,347
        Expenses: $13,015
        Starting Salary: $43,000
        Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
        Paid back at 15% of annual salary
        What is Dakota College at Bottineau known for?

        Dakota College at Bottineau’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      5. #5

        Lake Region State College

        Devils Lake , ND

        Tuition + fees

        $5K

        Graduation

        45%

        Student body

        2K

        Career Outlook for degree at Lake Region State College

        Cost of Degree: $5,435
        Expenses: $12,100
        Starting Salary: $39,800
        Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
        Paid back at 15% of annual salary
        What is Lake Region State College known for?

        Lake Region State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      6. Tuition + fees

        $2K

        Graduation

        38%

        Student body

        <1K

        Career Outlook for degree at Turtle Mountain Community College

        Cost of Degree: $2,482
        Starting Salary: $26,100
        What is Turtle Mountain Community College known for?

        Turtle Mountain Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      7. Tuition + fees

        $4K

        Graduation

        12%

        Student body

        <1K

        Career Outlook for degree at United Tribes Technical College

        Cost of Degree: $4,252
        Expenses: $8,570
        Starting Salary: $21,100
        Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
        Paid back at 15% of annual salary
        What is United Tribes Technical College known for?

        United Tribes Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      8. Tuition + fees

        $4K

        Graduation

        11%

        Student body

        <1K

        Career Outlook for degree at Cankdeska Cikana Community College

        Cost of Degree: $3,950
        Starting Salary: $20,000
        What is Cankdeska Cikana Community College known for?

        Cankdeska Cikana Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      9. Tuition + fees

        $4K

        Graduation

        6%

        Student body

        <1K

        Career Outlook for degree at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

        Cost of Degree: $3,870
        Starting Salary: $31,200
        What is Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College known for?

        Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

      2021 Ranking Archive

      Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

      1. Bismarck State College
      2. Turtle Mountain Community College
      3. Williston State College
      4. North Dakota State College of Science
      5. Sitting Bull College
      6. United Tribes Technical College
      7. Dakota College at Bottineau
      8. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
      9. Lake Region State College
      10. Cankdeska Cikana Community College
      Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here