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Best Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota

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2023 Best Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota

Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

6 Schools Ranked
$7,946 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$20,213 Avg Student Debt*

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools and bootcamps that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 6 schools in North Dakota to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Bismarck State College

Bismarck, North Dakota
792 Total Awards
$6,930 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Bismarck State College to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a associate degree in North Dakota. BSC is a public institution located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 792 associate degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BSC are $6,930 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,120 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at BSC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

BSC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota list.

Read More…

#2

North Dakota State College of Science

Wahpeton, North Dakota
460 Total Awards
$6,606 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State College of Science. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota list. North Dakota State College of Science is a small public school located in Wahpeton, North Dakota that handed out 460 associate degrees in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State College of Science undergraduate students pay an average of $6,606 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,451 in student loans.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since North Dakota State College of Science does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 32% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State College of Science also made our Best Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota list, coming in at #3.

Full North Dakota State College of Science Report

#3

Dakota College at Bottineau

Bottineau, North Dakota
120 Total Awards
$7,351 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dakota College at Bottineau. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota list. This small public school is located in Bottineau, North Dakota, and it awarded 120 associate degrees in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MSU-Bottineau are $7,351 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,087 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Some students may be able to take online classes at MSU-Bottineau. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, MSU-Bottineau is ranked #4 for overall quality in North Dakota.

Read full report on Dakota College at Bottineau

#4

Lake Region State College

Devils Lake, North Dakota
214 Total Awards
$5,000 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent associate degree programs at Lake Region State College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in North Dakota. Lake Region State College is a small public school situated in Devils Lake, North Dakota. It awarded 214 associate degrees in 2020-2021.

Lake Region State College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,000 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,732 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Lake Region State College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Full Lake Region State College Report

#5

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota
53 Total Awards
$9,942 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent associate degree programs at Dickinson State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in North Dakota. DSU is a small public school situated in Dickinson, North Dakota. It awarded 53 associate degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DSU are $9,942 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,554 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at DSU. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.

DSU also took the #5 spot in our Best Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota rankings.

Read full report on Dickinson State University

#6

Rasmussen University - North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota
189 Total Awards
$11,847 Average Tuition & Fees

Rasmussen University - North Dakota ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Associate Degree Schools in North Dakota list. This very small private for-profit school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 189 associate degrees in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Rasmussen University - North Dakota are $11,847 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,566 in student loans.

Online courses are available at Rasmussen University - North Dakota, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Rasmussen University - North Dakota is ranked #2 for overall quality in North Dakota.

Read full report on Rasmussen University - North Dakota

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 6 schools only.

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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