NurseSavvy ranking · North Dakota · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10
We ranked all 13 RN programs in North Dakota that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in North Dakota, and what graduates earn a year out.
Williston State College comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.
No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.
Rank it your way
Rank North Dakota’s 13 RN programs on what matters to you
NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.
The top 10 nursing programs in North Dakota
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 190score
Williston State College
WillistonAssociate Degree RN Nursing Programs (AAS)· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- 93% finish
- Cost-to-pay value
- $5,932/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $60,944 1 yr out
Start to license: 93 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
- 279score
Minot State University
MinotBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $12,703/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $72,522 1 yr out
- 374score
North Dakota State University
FargoBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs· Public
A 97% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $15,543/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $70,821 1 yr out
- 474score
North Dakota State University
BismarckBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs· Public
A 97% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $15,543/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $70,821 1 yr out
- 573score
University of Mary
BismarckBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs· Private nonprofit
A 96.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 96.8%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $17,770/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $72,453 1 yr out
- 670score
University of Jamestown
JamestownBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs· Private nonprofit
A 94.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 94.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $19,567/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $74,094 1 yr out
- 769score
University of North Dakota
Grand ForksBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs· Public
A 93.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 93.6%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $18,551/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $73,097 1 yr out
- 863score
Bismarck State College
BismarckAssociate Degree RN Nursing Programs (AAS)· Public
A 92.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 92.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $10,270/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $66,335 1 yr out
- 953score
Dakota College at Bottineau
BottineauAssociate Degree RN Nursing Programs (AAS)· Public
A $10,039 average net price is low next to $80,730 median RN pay in North Dakota.
- NCLEX strength
- 81.8%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $10,039/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $71,421 1 yr out
- 1052score
Rasmussen University
FargoBaccalaureate Degree RN Nursing Programs
A 82.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 82.4%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.
The North Dakota leaders on each measure
Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.
- Highest NCLEX pass rate: Williston State College (Associate Degree RN Nursing Programs (AAS)), 100% first-time.
- Most students finish: Williston State College (Associate Degree RN Nursing Programs (AAS)), 93% on time.
- Lowest average net price: Williston State College, $5,932/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: University of Jamestown, $74,094 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: Williston State College (#1 overall) and Minot State University (#2 overall).
How we ranked North Dakota’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the North Dakota board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
- Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
- Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to North Dakota’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
- Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.
A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best nursing school in North Dakota?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Williston State College (Associate Degree RN Nursing Programs (AAS), Williston) ranks #1 of 13 RN programs in North Dakota with a score of 90 out of 100 and a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.
How did NurseSavvy rank North Dakota nursing schools?
Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the North Dakota board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
What does “fill-in” mean on this list?
When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.
Can a school pay to rank higher?
No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.
Keep going
- ReferenceHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing schoolsHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing programs: every formula, data source, and refresh rule, plus why no school can pay for placement.
- State guideNursing in North DakotaNorth Dakota in one page: 13 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 80,730), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in North DakotaNurse practitioners in North Dakota earn a median of 130,070 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in North DakotaRegistered nurses in North Dakota earn a median of 80,730 a year (May 2025).
- GuideNursing School Dropout Rates: What a 100% NCLEX Pass Rate Can HideHow many nursing students actually finish, why a high NCLEX pass rate can hide high attrition, where programs publish completion rates, and the start-to-license number to ask every school for.
- FinderNursing school rankings you controlRank nursing programs by what matters to you — pass rate, students who finish, cost, and graduate earnings.