New students at North Dakota State University are greeted by a long line of faculty, staff, students and administrators as they walk through the gates during Welcome Week on August 26, 2024. (Photo provided by NDSU)
North Dakota public colleges and universities report a 10% increase in freshmen enrollment from Minnesota, despite competition from Minnesota’s free tuition program.
The total enrollment at the North Dakota University System is 45,806, an increase of approximately 4% compared to fall 2023.
“Almost every institution has seen an increase in almost every demographic,” Jen Weber, director of institutional research and analytics and chief data analyst for the university system, said at Tuesday’s State Board of Higher Education meeting.
All North Dakota University System campuses near the Minnesota border saw either increased or flat enrollment this fall.
Chancellor Mark Hagerott said each campus has an enrollment strategy in response to the North Star Promise, which offers free college tuition to Minnesota families earning $80,000 or less.
At North Dakota State University, for example, “generous alumni” helped the university offer a similar free-tuition program, Hagerott said. Enrollment at NDSU was flat from last year at 11,952 students, though the number of full-time equivalents fell 1 percent.
The North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, which reported a 7 percent increase in enrollment, has been working to better promote existing scholarships and tuition assistance programs for Minnesota students, said President Rod Flanigan.
“Frankly, 71 percent of our Minnesota students come to us for free,” Flanigan said at the rally at the University of North Dakota. “But it’s really hard to campaign with, ‘We’re almost free.'”
UND President Andrew Armacost said campus leaders made a conscious decision to monitor trends before attempting to emulate Minnesota’s program.
“We felt it would be very expensive to match Minnesota’s promise for potentially minimal enrollment growth, so we held out and said, let’s study the data for a year and see what we learn,” Armacost said.
UND enrollment grew to 15,019 students, an increase of about 6% from fall 2023.
“Our growth on campus has been extraordinary,” Armacost told the board. “Our freshman class in particular has grown by just over 23 percent. We’re seeing that in parking permit applications and housing applications.”
Campus leaders said they remain cautious about possible future implications of Minnesota’s tuition program. Board members indicated they may ask the Legislature for more marketing dollars.
“I think we can’t take our eyes off the ball,” said board member Jeffry Volk. “The first installment may not have been a great success. I’m absolutely convinced Minnesota is going to double, triple.”
In western North Dakota, Williston State College reported the largest jump in enrollment, from 912 last fall to 1,058 students. That’s an increase of about 16 percent.
Dickinson State University, whose president abruptly resigned last summer, was the only campus to report a drop in enrollment. This fall, it reported 1,410 students, compared with 1,453 in fall 2023. However, the college has about the same number of full-time students as it did last year.
Weber noted that full-time enrollment and planned credits grew faster than student enrollment, indicating that North Dakota University System students are taking more courses this year than they will in fall 2023.
The University System is required to report enrollment data on the 20th day of each fall and spring semester. The data provide a snapshot of the enrollment of students pursuing a degree.
Weber said the university system is in the process of compiling the enrollment report, which should be available in a few weeks.
This story originally appeared in the North Dakota Monitor, a sister site of the Minnesota Reformer and part of the nonprofit news network States Newsroom.
