---
title: Bismarck State College — cost, debt & earnings (College Scorecard)
location: Bismarck, ND
control: Public
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2026-06-10 release)
sourceUrl: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
---

# Bismarck State College

Bismarck, ND · Public · Associate-granting

> Federal College Scorecard institution **medians** — not a prediction of any one student's outcome, and not a figure for any single program. Earnings/debt cover federally-aided students.

## The bottom line

| Figure | Value | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Typical earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $54,277 | recorded |
| Earnings range (25th–75th pct) | $34,717 – $83,256 | recorded |
| Typical federal debt | $6,750 | recorded |
| Debt of students who withdrew | $5,500 | recorded |
| Completion rate | 47% | recorded |
| Average annual net cost | $15,771 | recorded |
| % earning above a $28k HS-grad wage | 77% | recorded |
| Debt ÷ a year's earnings | 0.12× | derived |
| Earnings premium vs $28k HS benchmark | $26,277 | derived |

**47% of students finish** — the loans are owed whether or not you graduate, so read every figure below next to this number.

Typical **federal** loan debt is $6,750 (≈ 12% of a year's typical earnings here). Note: this counts federal loans only — not private loans, Parent PLUS, or family savings — so true borrowing is usually higher; and because dropouts borrow less, low-completion schools can show a deceptively low debt figure.

## Earnings by major (the number that decides "worth it")

> **Different measure — read on its own terms.** These are median earnings **1 year after completing the program** (early career, graduates only) — NOT the 10-years-after-entry school-wide figure above. Do not compare a program figure to the school figure; compare majors to each other. The Dept. of Education omits programs with too few graduates.

By program, early-career pay ranges from $29,332 to $94,930 across 12 program(s).

| Major | Credential | Pay (1 yr out) | Median debt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | Bachelor's Degree | $94,930 | $15,250 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $81,394 | $11,892 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $76,908 | $12,000 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $64,379 | $12,000 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers. | Associate's Degree | $55,659 | $7,153 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | Associate's Degree | $54,207 | $20,479 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $54,093 | $5,500 |
| Agricultural Business and Management. | Associate's Degree | $45,724 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,613 | $5,775 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | Associate's Degree | $38,353 | not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | Associate's Degree | $30,254 | $10,887 |
| Design and Applied Arts. | Associate's Degree | $29,332 | not reported |

## What this is — and is NOT

Institution-wide medians from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. **Not** a prediction of what you would earn or owe, **not** a figure for any single program (a CS and a fine-arts graduate of the same school diverge enormously), **not** proof the school caused the outcome (selection, not causation), and **not** a "best college" ranking. Explore Bismarck State College by field of study at the official Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?200022

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Structured data (JSON-LD), each figure labeled by epistemic status: `/education/bismarck-state-college-nd.jsonld` · all schools: `/education`