NDSU Student Population Demographics: A Comprehensive Overview

North Dakota State University (NDSU), formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, stands as a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. Founded in 1890 as North Dakota Agricultural College, it holds the distinction of being the state's land-grant university and a vital component of the North Dakota University System. This article delves into the demographics of the NDSU student population, examining various facets such as enrollment trends, race and ethnicity, age diversity, and geographic origin.

Historical Context and Institutional Overview

Initially, classes were held in six classrooms rented from Fargo College after Horace E. Stockbridge became the first NDAC president and the board of trustees was formed on October 15, 1890. The first class of students were admitted on September 8, 1891. The university has significantly expanded its academic offerings and research capabilities over the years. Between 2000 and 2007, NDSU added a number of undergraduate programs and thirty-one graduate programs.

NDSU's main campus, located in Fargo, spans 258 acres (1.04 km2) and comprises over 100 buildings. The university also operates North Dakota's agricultural research extension centers distributed across the state on 18,488 acres (74.82 km2). In 2023, President David Cook outlined plans to merge two out of the seven colleges into five in an attempt to save $7.6 million, also resulting in some majors with high program costs and lower enrollment being eliminated. NDSU operates several buildings in downtown Fargo. The project started in 2004 with the purchase and renovation of the former Northern School Supply building, at NP Avenue and 8th Street North downtown. In 2006, the NDSU Development Foundation purchased the Pioneer Mutual Life Insurance building and Lincoln Mutual Life & Casualty Insurance building along 2nd Avenue North between 8th and 10th Streets, also downtown. The refurbished Pioneer building is now Richard H. Barry Hall and is home to the NDSU College of Business and Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics.

NDSU is classified among "R1-Doctoral Universities - Very High Research Activity". The university is a major component of the Red River Valley Research Corridor. According to the NSF Higher Education and Research Development (HERD) survey, NDSU ranked in the top 100 research universities for agricultural sciences and social sciences in 2017. NDSU's annual research expenditures exceed $150 million. Major fields of research at NDSU include nanotechnology, genomics, agriculture, chemistry, and polymers and coatings.

Enrollment Trends

In 2023, NDSU had a total enrollment of 11,952 students. Of these, 9,796 were full-time students, and 2,156 were part-time, indicating that 82% of the student body attends full-time. This full-time enrollment rate is higher than the 77.9% average observed at similar doctoral universities. As of 2022, 91.6% of applicants were admitted to NDSU with admitted students having an average GPA of 3.47. Admission is test-optional, NDSU neither requiring ACT nor SAT test scores for admission.

Read also: SAT/ACT Scores for NDSU Admission

Race and Ethnicity

The racial and ethnic composition of the NDSU student body is predominantly White, comprising 79.7% of the total enrollment. Other significant groups include:

Two or More Races: 4.07%
Black or African American: 3.17%
Hispanic or Latino: 2.95%
Asian: 1.87%
American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.619%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders: 0.0418%

When examining full-time undergraduate students, the most common demographic is White Male (43.3%), followed closely by White Female (42.6%) and Two or More Races Female (2.23%). In full-time graduate programs, the majority are White Female (34.1%), followed by White Male (24.2%), and Asian Female (1.68%).

A comparison with all Doctoral Universities reveals that NDSU's student body has a higher percentage of White students (79.7% vs. 46.5%) and a lower percentage of Hispanic or Latino (2.95% vs. 15.9%) and Black or African American students (3.17% vs. 9.78%).

Geographic Diversity

NDSU demonstrates a reasonable level of geographic diversity, ranking 506 out of 2,183 institutions. A significant portion of the student population comes from outside of North Dakota, with 65.32% being out-of-state students. Additionally, 0.8% of the students are international, coming from outside the country. The undergraduate student body includes students from 24 states.

Age Diversity

The age diversity score of NDSU suggests that the university effectively attracts students of various ages. The age diversity score is 70.20 out of 100.

Gender Distribution

In 2023, North Dakota State University-Main Campus awarded 2,984 degrees across all undergraduate and graduate programs. Of these degrees, 50.4% were awarded to women, and 49.6% were awarded to men, indicating a near-equal gender distribution among degree recipients. In 2023, 1,479 degrees were awarded to men at North Dakota State University-Main Campus, which is 0.983 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,505).

Retention and Graduation Rates

The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at North Dakota State University-Main Campus was 77%. This is lower compared to the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%). In 2023, the student demographic with the highest graduation rate at North Dakota State University-Main Campus is Female and Asian (67.9% graduation rate).

Costs and Financial Aid

The median undergraduate tuition at North Dakota State University-Main Campus is $9,309, which is $−21,694 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004). After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $16,461. In 2023, 69% of undergraduate students received financial aid through grants, and 53% received financial aid through loans.

Academic Programs and Specializations

NDSU offers a major known as University Studies that allows a student to study in nearly any area that interests them. NDSU uses a semester system - Fall and Spring with two summer sessions. In 2023, the most common bachelors degree concentration at North Dakota State University-Main Campus was Registered Nursing with 216 degrees awarded. In 2023, the most specialized majors across all degree types at North Dakota State University-Main Campus, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Architecture and Related Services (120 degrees awarded), Agriculture (246 degrees), and Human Sciences (159 degrees).

Campus Life and Facilities

NDSU provides a comprehensive campus environment with various facilities and activities. The main campus boundaries are 19th Avenue N. to the north, University Drive to the east, 18th St. N. to the west, and 12th Avenue N. The central area consists of the Shepperd Arena, many academic buildings, and the Quentin Burdick Building. The Engineering Complex was torn down in 2024 as part of a large construction project to modernize and boost the engineering department, the Richard Offerdahl '65 Engineering complex. The Memorial Union is also in the central campus and serves students' social needs. In 2014, NDSU began construction on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) building. It has been completed and renamed the A. Just north of the central area of campus is a large section that consists of academic buildings, residence halls, and dining centers. This area is punctuated by four identical residential high-rises surrounded by grassy quads, as well as two sand-volleyball courts and a basketball court. Between the high-rises a dining center serves their 1,000+ residents. Tunnels connect to the towers to ease travel in bad weather.

Read also: Student Health Guide: NDSU

NDSU's sports teams, known as the North Dakota State Bison, participate in NCAA Division I. The university also supports various student-run media outlets, including Thunder Radio, the Bison Information Network, and The Spectrum student newspaper.

tags: #NDSU #student #population #demographics