Minot State University
Public College in Minot, ND. Six-year graduation rate 45%. Median 10-year earnings $51,759.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $51,759 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. 45% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Debt at graduation runs to a median of $19,609, neither a bargain nor a burden. Mobility is where this school separates itself: 2.0% of students move from the bottom income quintile to the top.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
An acceptance rate of 65% puts Minot State University on the accessible end — a realistic target for a broad range of applicants. The applicant pool is small at 701, which makes year-over-year comparisons unreliable. Yield is high — 78% of admitted students go on to enroll, well above the typical rate. The score bands below rest on the 6% of enrolled first-years who submitted an SAT score — a self-selected group, and not a cutoff.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 500–570 | 20 (6%) |
| SAT Math | 430–570 | |
| ACT Composite | 18–24 | 189 (54%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Minot State University →Academics
45% graduate within six years — average, but that average still hides a large group who do not. First-year retention is 66% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. The two rates sit near each other: few students who return for a second year are missing from the six-year completion figure. A 16% transfer-out rate accounts for part of that gap: those students left for another institution rather than dropping out, and the graduation rate above counts them as non-completers here. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 40% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 2,072 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price is $13,092 a year after grant aid — low for a four-year institution, though your own figure depends on aid eligibility. The gap between the $0–30k and $110k+ bands is narrow ($9,492 versus $15,632), meaning aid is not strongly need-weighted. 81% of students receive grant aid, averaging $5,802 — common but not automatic. About 44% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 355 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,492 |
| $30–48k | $10,388 |
| $48–75k | $11,359 |
| $75–110k | $13,674 |
| $110k+ | $15,632 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 902 of these 2,072 students, totalling $5,668,082 — an average of $6,284 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Ward County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)