HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of North Dakota vs North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University clears +$2.62M in 30-year net value, University of North Dakota +$2.53M — both pay off, North Dakota State University by +$87K.

Two ND public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of North Dakota · Grand Forks, ND

30-year net value
+$2.53M
Total cost of attendance
$87,988
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$64,732
Breaks even by age
33

North Dakota State University · Fargo, ND

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.62M
Total cost of attendance
$81,688
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$65,089
Breaks even by age
32
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of North Dakota vs North Dakota State University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/north-dakota-vs-north-dakota-state

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Questions

Is University of North Dakota or North Dakota State University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, North Dakota State University clears +$2.62M and University of North Dakota +$2.53M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; North Dakota State University comes out ahead by +$87K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does North Dakota State University pay off than University of North Dakota?
About +$87K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.62M vs +$2.53M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of North Dakota?
+$2.53M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $87,988, median earnings ten years out $64,732, breaking even around age 33. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.