North Dakota State University (NDSU) is the land-grant, Morrill Act flagship of North Dakota and the state's largest research university, enrolling roughly 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students on a 258-acre main campus in Fargo. Founded in 1890 as North Dakota Agricultural College and renamed NDSU in 1960, the university is classified R1 'Very High Research Activity' by the Carnegie Classification and routinely ranks among the top U.S. universities for research expenditures per student. Its federal land-grant status places it at the center of agricultural and biosystems research for the northern Great Plains, and its strategic location in Fargo — North Dakota's largest and fastest-growing city — anchors it in one of the most employer-dense small metros in the Upper Midwest. Academically, NDSU's reputation rests on engineering, agricultural sciences, pharmacy, and architecture. The College of Engineering (which offers a nationally unique Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering) feeds Microsoft's Fargo campus, John Deere, Bobcat, Case IH, and a dense cluster of precision-agriculture and ag-tech firms. The College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources supports roles at USDA and across the Midwest food system. The School of Pharmacy offers a PharmD with strong regional clinical placements, and the nationally recognized Department of Architecture runs a five-year professional M.Arch pathway. STEM-designated degrees across engineering and sciences give international graduates access to the 3-year OPT runway critical for U.S. tech, engineering, and agricultural careers. Campus life centers on Bison Pride: NCAA Division I athletics in the Summit League (plus NCAA FCS football in the Missouri Valley Football Conference — NDSU is a nine-time FCS national champion), 300+ student organizations, Bison Pride Fridays, and the Homecoming parade that dates to 1921. Roughly 89% of first-time freshmen live on campus in residence halls ranging from traditional low-rise buildings (Burgum, Weible, Reed/Johnson) to suite-style high-rises (Cater, Pavek, Sevrinson, Seim, Thompson). Fargo itself — a safe, cold, bilingual-friendly city of ~130,000 with a growing Somali, Nepali, and Bhutanese community — offers a surprisingly vibrant downtown arts scene, a low cost of living, and a recognized high-tech startup ecosystem that gives international students a viable post-graduate employment landscape.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
4 years
One of NDSU's signature programs and among the oldest ABET-accredited ABE programs in the United States. STEM-designated; prepares students for careers in precision agriculture, water resources engineering, food engineering, and bio-processing — areas central to the northern Great Plains economy.
4 years
STEM-designated program in the College of Engineering. Graduates feed Microsoft's Fargo campus (one of the largest Microsoft sites outside Redmond), John Deere's ISG (Intelligent Solutions Group), and the rapidly growing Fargo tech corridor.
4 years
Offered through the NDSU School of Pharmacy (founded 1902). Strong clinical placements across Sanford Health and Essentia Health systems in the Upper Midwest, with consistently strong NAPLEX pass rates.
5 years
Department of Architecture offers an accelerated 5-year track to the professional M.Arch degree. Nationally recognized studio culture and strong regional placement in Minneapolis, Fargo, Denver, and Chicago firms.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $15,764
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
