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

# North Dakota State College of Science

Wahpeton, 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 | $50,513 | recorded |
| Earnings range (25th–75th pct) | $32,764 – $70,325 | recorded |
| Typical federal debt | $8,250 | recorded |
| Debt of students who withdrew | $5,500 | recorded |
| Completion rate | 55% | recorded |
| Average annual net cost | $17,265 | recorded |
| % earning above a $28k HS-grad wage | 75% | recorded |
| Debt ÷ a year's earnings | 0.16× | derived |
| Earnings premium vs $28k HS benchmark | $22,513 | derived |

**55% 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 $8,250 (≈ 16% 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 $27,840 to $54,398 across 11 program(s).

| Major | Credential | Pay (1 yr out) | Median debt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $54,398 | $12,546 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $51,767 | $11,554 |
| Agricultural Mechanization. | Associate's Degree | $49,958 | $12,500 |
| Precision Metal Working. | Associate's Degree | $47,110 | $11,123 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $43,277 | $11,000 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions. | Associate's Degree | $42,835 | $11,500 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants. | Associate's Degree | $36,541 | $16,090 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | Associate's Degree | $35,995 | $10,000 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services. | Associate's Degree | $33,909 | not reported |
| Agricultural Business and Management. | Associate's Degree | $30,193 | $11,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | Associate's Degree | $27,840 | $10,921 |

## 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 North Dakota State College of Science by field of study at the official Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?200305

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