Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in North Dakota
7
Meet the Ranking Threshold
5
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$8,633
With a Fully Online Option
4
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in North Dakota
General studies bachelor's degrees in North Dakota are spread across the state's regional public universities and one private one. Five programs meet the ranking threshold, 4 at public universities and 1 at the University of Mary in Bismarck, and 2 more sit below it, at the University of Jamestown and Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, each with a single graduate in the latest year. Three of the ranked 5 can be completed fully online.
The University of North Dakota in Grand Forks leads at 66.9, 30th on the national bachelor's ranking, on 97 graduates, a 60% graduation rate and resident tuition and fees of $10,951. The University of Mary follows at 53.8, where a 67% graduation rate carries tuition and fees of $21,468, and it's one of the online options. Valley City State University scores 49.5 at $8,514 with a 53% graduation rate, also online, then Minot State University at 45.9 with 21 graduates at $8,633 and a 45% graduation rate, and Mayville State University at 43.7 with 20 graduates.
Tuition and fees across the 5 run from $7,935 at Mayville State to $21,468 at the University of Mary, with the 4 public universities between $7,935 and $10,951. Graduation rates run from 41% at Mayville State to 67% at the University of Mary, and the University of North Dakota graduates 60%. Below the threshold, Sitting Bull College lists $4,010 and the University of Jamestown $24,820 with an online option.
The 5 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in North Dakota
The best general studies bachelor's degrees in North Dakota are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in North Dakota. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
University of North Dakota
North Dakota
66.9- Public
- College graduation rate
- 60%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $10,951 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 97
About the Program
Grand Forks, North Dakota is home to University of North Dakota, a public university of 15,019 students. Some 97 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 78% of the programs ranked alongside it. Its college-wide graduation rate is 60%, the 78th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Tuition and fees run $10,951 a year in state against $15,570 out of state, so on price it sits at the 41st percentile. About 77% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 78th percentile.
2
University of Mary
North Dakota
53.8- Private nonprofit
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 67%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $21,468 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 22
About the Program
Based in Bismarck, North Dakota, University of Mary is a private nonprofit university with 3,861 students on its rolls. During the most recent year on record it awarded 22 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 31st percentile for size. Across the whole college, 67% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 88% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $21,468 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. The degree can be finished entirely online, which suits anyone who cannot move or stop working. About 75% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 88th percentile.
3
Valley City State University
North Dakota
49.5- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 53%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,514 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 10
About the Program
Some 1,806 students attend Valley City State University, a public university in Valley City, North Dakota. During the most recent year on record it awarded 10 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 1st percentile for size. Across the whole college, 53% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 59% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees run $8,514 a year in state against $13,478 out of state, so on price it sits at the 77th percentile. Because the full degree is offered online, it is open to students well outside the region. Nearly everyone who applies gets in, since 99% of applicants are admitted. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 77th percentile.
4
Minot State University
North Dakota
45.9- Public
- College graduation rate
- 45%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,633 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 21
About the Program
Some 2,751 students attend Minot State University, a public university in Minot, North Dakota. During the most recent year on record it awarded 21 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 29th percentile for size. Of the students who start at Minot State University, 45% graduate, and that beats 37 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees are $8,633 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 65% of applicants accepted. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 73rd percentile.
5
Mayville State University
North Dakota
43.7- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 41%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $7,935 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 20
About the Program
Based in Mayville, North Dakota, Mayville State University is a public university with 1,134 students on its rolls. The program's last federal report shows 20 bachelor's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 27 in every 100 programs measured here. Its college-wide graduation rate is 41%, the 26th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Tuition and fees are $7,935 a year for residents and $9,564 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 84% of programs at this level. Distance students can complete the whole degree online, so where you live matters less here. On price it does best, reaching the 84th percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in North Dakota
The other general studies bachelor's degrees in North Dakota awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Jamestown, Jamestown | 1 | 49% | $24,820 |
| Sitting Bull College, Fort Yates | 1 | 22% | $4,010 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in North Dakota?
A general studies bachelor's degree in North Dakota costs a median of $8,633 a year in tuition and required fees for 2023-24 across the seven programs, and that median is Minot State University's price, which it charges residents and non-residents alike. Mayville State charges residents $7,935 and non-residents $9,564, Valley City State $8,514 and $13,478, and the University of North Dakota $10,951 and $15,570. The two private universities set the top of the range, the University of Mary at $21,468 and the University of Jamestown at $24,820. Sitting Bull College, below the ranking threshold with one graduate, lists $4,010.
The North Dakota State Grant awards up to $1,375 per semester or $917 per quarter, based on enrollment status, to North Dakota residents who are first-time undergraduates pursuing an eligible program at a qualifying North Dakota institution and enrolled at least quarter-time. For 2025-26, a Supplemental State Grant gives State Grant recipients an additional award if family income is $80,000 or less and you take at least 3 credit hours. The limit at this level is first-time undergraduate: if you're transferring in with an associate degree, ask the aid office whether you still qualify.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in North Dakota?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in North Dakota under GERTA, the General Education Requirement Transfer Agreement, which makes an approved set of general education courses transferable between North Dakota University System institutions, the state's five tribal colleges and one North Dakota private university. Complete general education at any University System campus or North Dakota tribal college and GERTA lets you transfer your general education program to another institution, so the four public universities receive it as a block.
The degree-level rule is State Board Policy 403.7, which in a copy hosted by North Dakota State University, effective November 2009, sets a 36-semester-hour common general education requirement and says students completing Associate in Science and Associate in Arts degrees at system campuses meet the lower-division general education requirements. An AA or AS from a system campus arrives with general education done. An Associate in General Studies, or any tribal college associate, arrives as GERTA-approved courses instead, matched one by one.
Course matching is simple because North Dakota's public, tribal and private colleges use a common course numbering system. At the University of Mary and the University of Jamestown, both private, ask whether the university is GERTA's one private partner and, if not, how it reads a completed 36-hour core, and ask how many credits beyond general education count toward the major.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in North Dakota?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in North Dakota pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in North Dakota
To choose a general studies bachelor's degree program in North Dakota, put a price on graduation rate, because the public universities make that trade explicit: Mayville State University charges $7,935 in tuition and fees and graduates 41%, the University of North Dakota charges $10,951 and graduates 60%, so $3,016 a year buys 19 points of completion. Valley City State University sits between them at $8,514 and 53%, and both Mayville and Valley City run the degree fully online, while the University of North Dakota and Minot State University are campus programs. The University of Mary graduates 67% at $21,468, nearly three times Mayville's price, and is the third online program.
Bring transfer credit with your general education settled: under GERTA, approved general education courses transfer among North Dakota University System institutions and the state's tribal colleges, and Policy 403.7 treats AA and AS graduates of system campuses as having met the lower-division general education requirement. Ask the university how it counts an associate in general studies against that rule, how many credits beyond general education it applies to the major, and how many must be taken in residence.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in North Dakota have their own page.
Common Questions About General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in North Dakota
What Is the Cheapest Ranked General Studies Bachelor's Degree in North Dakota?
Which General Studies Bachelor's Degree in North Dakota Has the Highest Graduation Rate?
Can You Finish a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Online in North Dakota?
Does a North Dakota Associate Degree Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree?
Can a Transfer Student Get the North Dakota State Grant While Finishing a General Studies Bachelor's Degree?
Where Do the Figures on This North Dakota Page Come From?
- GERTA
- Transfer to a Different Campus
- SBHE Policy 403.7 Common General Education Requirement and Transfer of General Education Credits (effective November 19, 2009, copy hosted by NDSU)
- Common Course Numbering (CCN)
- North Dakota State Grant
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates