Nursing Education › North Dakota
North Dakota Nursing Programs

Top Nursing Schools in
North Dakota — 2026

Compare the best BSN, MSN, ADN, and RN programs in North Dakota. Tuition costs, NCLEX pass rates, accreditation, and unique program highlights for prospective nursing students.

7 programs listed BSN · ADN · LPN · MSN North Dakota Board of Nursing Nurse Licensure Compact member

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Nursing Programs in North Dakota

BSN · On-Campus
University of North Dakota
BSN Program — Grand Forks

UND's nursing program is North Dakota's largest, preparing nurses for the state's predominantly rural healthcare needs with a notable emphasis on Native American health.

$10,000/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
91%NCLEX Pass
North Dakota's Largest Nursing Program Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
North Dakota State University
BSN Program — Fargo

NDSU's nursing program combines the university's research and STEM strengths with professional nursing education, producing analytically strong graduates.

$9,800/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
90%NCLEX Pass
STEM-Integrated Nursing Education at NDSU Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
University of North Dakota
BSN Program — Grand Forks

Flagship state university BSN with Altru Health clinical partnerships

$14,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
92%NCLEX Pass
UND Nursing top-ranked program in North Dakota Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
North Dakota State University
BSN – Traditional — Fargo

NDSU BSN with Sanford Health and Essentia Health Fargo clinical placements

$13,500/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
90%NCLEX Pass
NDSU Nursing well-regarded in the Fargo-Moorhead healthcare market Visit Program →
ADN · On-Campus
Bismarck State College
ADN Program — Bismarck

Central North Dakota ADN with CHI St. Alexius and Sanford Bismarck placements

$6,500 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
87%NCLEX Pass
BSC ADN primary pipeline for the Bismarck healthcare workforce Visit Program →
LPN · On-Campus
Lake Region State College
Practical Nursing Certificate — Devils Lake

Rural North Dakota LPN workforce program serving the Devils Lake region

$5,500 totalAvg Cost
12 monthsLength
85%NCLEX Pass
LRSC LPN addresses workforce shortage in rural North Dakota Visit Program →
MSN · Hybrid
University of Mary
MSN – Family NP — Bismarck

Catholic university MSN with FNP focus and rural North Dakota health emphasis

$18,000/yrAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
N/ANCLEX Pass
University of Mary MSN serves ND's rural primary care provider needs Visit Program →

About Nursing Programs in North Dakota

North Dakota's nursing market is anchored by Sanford Health, one of the largest rural health systems in the nation, along with Essentia Health and Altru, serving Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and a wide rural footprint. Steady population growth in recent years has reinforced demand for nurses statewide.

Students can pursue affordable community-college and tribal-college ADN programs, BSN degrees at the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State, accelerated options, and RN-to-BSN bridges plus MSN tracks for advanced practice and leadership.

Licensure is handled by the North Dakota Board of Nursing. North Dakota is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN license issued to a North Dakota resident is a multistate license valid across all compact states — and North Dakota is also one of the states that issues multistate APRN Compact licenses for qualifying advanced-practice nurses.

Licensing authority: North Dakota Board of Nursing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. North Dakota is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If North Dakota is your primary state of residence, your RN or LPN license is a multistate license valid across all compact states.
Yes. North Dakota is among the states that issue multistate APRN Compact licenses for qualifying advanced-practice nurses, in addition to the standard RN and LPN compact.
Complete a North Dakota Board of Nursing-approved ADN or BSN program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for licensure through the board.
Both qualify you for the NCLEX-RN. A community or tribal college ADN is an affordable entry point, while a BSN is preferred at larger systems like Sanford and for advancement.
About two years for an ADN and four for a BSN, with accelerated BSN options finishing in roughly 12 to 18 months for second-degree students.
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