1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [University of North Dakota](/school/university-of-north-dakota/)
4.  /
5.  Career outcomes brief

Career outcomes brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# University of North Dakota Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-north-dakota/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-north-dakota/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-north-dakota/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-north-dakota/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-north-dakota/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do University of North Dakota graduates earn?

The reported median is $69,563 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $12,262 per year.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $69,563, in the 75th percentile. That is $12,262 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar at the 76th percentile. Graduates earn about $2,616 less than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the gap at the 45th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $9,379. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,995.

The earnings picture at University of North Dakota is broad, with outcomes that depend heavily on the field a student chooses. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $50,956 on the downside to $100,622 on the upside, with $69,563 as the typical scenario.

At the upper end, Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $106,162 four years after completion, from 39 degrees awarded a year. Air Transportation is both the largest program and the second-highest earner, at $104,472 from 298 degrees.

The spread between the downside scenario and the top-earning programs shows how much program choice matters here.

Program mix yields an estimate that 25.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, rather than an observed enrollment figure. Earnings four years after completion cover completers who are working and not enrolled, so the median describes that portion of graduates rather than those continuing their studies.

**Median earnings · four years after completion**
$69,563

**Rank for difference from expectations**
45th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**University of North Dakota reported median**
$69,563

**Peer schools comparable schools · $12,262 below University of North Dakota**
$57,301

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $2,616 above University of North Dakota**
$72,179

School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

## How could earnings differ from the median?

The planning scenarios range from $50,956 to $100,622, around the reported median of $69,563. Compare the lower scenario with [University of North Dakota borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-north-dakota/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan.

Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate.

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

**Lower estimate**
$50,956

**Median · reported**
$69,563

**Higher estimate**
$100,622

Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates.

[Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/).

## Do University of North Dakota graduates earn more than expected?

Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added).

University of North Dakota graduates’ reported earnings are $2,616 below that expectation, the 45th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls.

The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of North Dakota caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

What explains value-added earnings?

**Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.**
+$9,379

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
\-$11,995

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
\-$2,616

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

## Which fields at University of North Dakota report the highest earnings?

The largest program at University of North Dakota is also one of the best-paid. Air Transportation awards 298 degrees a year, and its graduates earn a median of $104,472 four years after completion.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Engineering programs dominate the upper end of the earnings range.

Electrical Engineering graduates earn $106,162, from 39 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks the program #79 nationally. Mechanical Engineering is larger, at 77 degrees a year, with median earnings of $89,704 and a national rank of #160.

At the more moderate end, Psychology awards 117 degrees a year and its graduates earn $55,333. Azimuth ranks it #108 nationally.

The contrast between the largest program and the more moderately earning fields shows the range of outcomes that depend on field of study.

University of North Dakota has 19 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, and the largest of them is also the top-ranked. Air Transportation awards 298 degrees a year and ranks #1 nationally and #1 in North Dakota.

Its completers earn a median of $104,472 four years after completion. Liberal Arts and General Studies is the second-best nationally ranked program, at #12 nationally and #1 in North Dakota, with 101 degrees awarded and median earnings of $71,538 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Electrical Engineering, with 39 degrees awarded, ranks #79 nationally and shows median earnings of $106,162 four years after completion. So the best-paid field and the biggest one are not the same.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**
$106,162

**Air Transportation**
$104,472

**Petroleum Engineering**
$99,932

**Mechanical Engineering**
$89,704

**Civil Engineering**
$87,828

**Chemical Engineering**
$87,309

**Computer and Information Sciences, General**
$86,268

**Accounting and Related Services**
$82,187

[Explore University of North Dakota program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-north-dakota/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context.

## Further analysis

Program mix yields a broad modeled range rather than a single expected outcome. The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $50,956, $69,563, and $100,622.

Electrical Engineering has median earnings of $106,162 four years after completion, while Psychology has $55,333, illustrating variation by field.

At University of North Dakota, the schoolwide earnings reference is $69,563 four years after completion for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that median in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,094 completers.

Graduates earn about $2,616 less than the model expects for similar students. The model’s typical earnings scenario matches the reported median, with a downside scenario of $50,956 and an upside scenario of $100,622.

These are earnings scenarios from the program mix, not observed groups. An estimated 25.6% continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment.

The earnings percentile and below-expected result point in different directions.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).