Strong graduate outcomes with earnings well above peer institutions. Robust earnings growth over time.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Graduate earnings at University of North Dakota show steady upward progression from early to mid-career periods. Median earnings begin at $54,588 six years after enrollment, advance to $58,225 at eight years, and reach $63,552 at the ten-year mark, representing solid 16.4% growth from the six-year baseline.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $22,057 in debt with typical earnings.
Student debt levels at University of North Dakota remain manageable relative to post-graduation earnings, though slightly above peer institutions. Median debt of $22,057 sits just $952 above the peer median of $21,105, indicating borrowing patterns typical for similar institutions.
University of North Dakota demonstrates well above average return on investment, ranking at the 89th percentile nationally with strong long-term value creation for graduates. The institution generates $9,403 in earnings beyond expectations compared to similar students, placing it at the 84th percentile for this critical value-added measure.
Approximately 23.2% of graduates continue to graduate or professional study based on program mix analysis, with high confidence in this estimate. Thi...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Engineering and technical programs drive University of North Dakota's strongest return outcomes, with Electrical Engineering graduates earning $91,053 and Chemical Engineering graduates earning $88,123. The signature Aeronautics program, ranking #3 nationally, produces earnings of $74,569 with exceptional enrollment of 196 students, demonstrating both quality and scale.
Mechanical Engineering adds solid performance at $78,739 with substantial cohorts of 104 graduates. These technical programs significantly outperform liberal arts offerings, with Psychology graduates earning $46,930 and Communication studies graduates earning $46,659.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution from $43,722 to $88,520 represents meaningful variation in post-graduation outcomes, with a 2.0:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates achieve particularly strong outcomes at $62,200, demonstrating the university's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility.
