Enrollment

[The Sicatoka]

Students notice priorities. What’s the money being spent on, them or …

[AJS]

Always a bit difficult to try to navigate the spin each school does when it comes to enrollment. My high-level overview of UND has been, prior to the 2024 FR class, the numbers for UND were rough. If the FR classes continue to increase, it'll still be at the earliest 2027, but more likely 2028 until you see the true transformation of UND's numbers. 

Back to the spin, the headcount number includes high school students enrolled in dual-credit coursework. Wouldn't read too much into those. Few quotes I found interesting.

 

Quote

At NDSU nearly 88% of students classified as freshmen in fall 2025 were full-time students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours, the highest percentage among North Dakota University System institutions.

Highest %, but what about actual number? Did they also have the highest number of FR full-time students? 

Quote

“NDSU also enrolls the highest number of students pursuing in-person programs within the university system.”

Which will be the case for this Fall as well, regardless of FR classes, since UND's Senior class will be proportionately small compared to the other classes from NDSU / UND. 

 

[Nodak1883]

On 6/17/2026 at 9:11 AM, AJS said:

UND was up 3.87% Spring of 2026 while NDSU was down 1.40%. UND was up 5.49% in Fall of 2025.

My hot take is if there's actually concern from NDSU about enrollment, I'd rather have it not be in the papers. Here's to another Fall of them hovering around 12k while blaming MSU-Moorhead for giving free school and discounting any UND growth by saying it's all online*.

 

NDSU does have this innate ability to bounce back, so I wouldn't be surprised to see an uptick this Fall (hoping I'm wrong).

* I've been talking about this for years. Hoping to see an article about a new dorm being needed in upcoming years because of demand.  

I think the current plan given that with Fulton being offline for UND is likely to build a new residence hall not for demand but to replace Johnstone/Fulton/Smith as those are the oldest residence halls on campus. And that's been a talking point through the campus in the past is replacing those three. As it stands now, it would take more money to bring Fulton back online for demand than the cost of actually tearing the building down. 

It will be interesting to see what comes out for the master plan that is expected to be released in February 2027 of what the goal is. 

[AJS]

That time of year again.

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/about-2-350-students-expected-for-welcome-weekend-und-anticipates-traffic

 

 

 

[AJS]

On 8/19/2026 at 4:26 PM, AJS said:

That time of year again.

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/about-2-350-students-expected-for-welcome-weekend-und-anticipates-traffic

 

 

 

Really interested to see the 1st day numbers in the next few days. Following this close for the last few years, it's a different vibe this year for sure. Last year from the Herald to Social media (for example, class photo), they were really hyping the largest FR class in school history. Not the case this year. Would be really disappointing if FR numbers are down this year, considering they had more applicants. Expanding that out to enrollment in general, odd there hasn't been more hype. This year will definitely be the largest ever. Maybe, there's a nice round number they feel they could possibly hit that will really be something to celebrate. 

 

[The Sicatoka]

I wonder if @Teeder11 has some insight.

[CMSioux]

3 hours ago, AJS said:

Really interested to see the 1st day numbers in the next few days. Following this close for the last few years, it's a different vibe this year for sure. Last year from the Herald to Social media (for example, class photo), they were really hyping the largest FR class in school history. Not the case this year. Would be really disappointing if FR numbers are down this year, considering they had more applicants. Expanding that out to enrollment in general, odd there hasn't been more hype. This year will definitely be the largest ever. Maybe, there's a nice round number they feel they could possibly hit that will really be something to celebrate. 

 

With most schools experiencing a decline in enrollment year after year it's okay if they don't set a record for freshman enrollment every year. 

[UNDDOM]

1 minute ago, CMSioux said:

With most schools experiencing a decline in enrollment year after year it's okay if they don't set a record for freshman enrollment every year. 

With the higher education - 4 yr degree "scam" catching on, it's only a matter of time before it starts to affect our university.  

[Blackheart]

1 hour ago, UNDDOM said:

With the higher education - 4 yr degree "scam" catching on, it's only a matter of time before it starts to affect our university.  

I must have missed that one; what's the scam?

[UNDDOM]

3 minutes ago, Blackheart said:

I must have missed that one; what's the scam?

To start, over half of today's college graduates are working in jobs that don't require a college degree.  I can think of many better investments for 50-60k

[Blackheart]

10 minutes ago, UNDDOM said:

To start, over half of today's college graduates are working in jobs that don't require a college degree.  I can think of many better investments for 50-60k

ok, thanks.

[Oxbow6]

3 hours ago, UNDDOM said:

With the higher education - 4 yr degree "scam" catching on, it's only a matter of time before it starts to affect our university.  

Hardly a scam but you do you.....

[UNDDOM]

5 minutes ago, Oxbow6 said:

Hardly a scam but you do you.....

Now list the bottom 20 degrees that are worthless... Music, Math, Psychology, Sociology, Arts, History, English, General Studies, Philosophy and Religion and so on.... hence the term 50%.  Yet kids will blow 50K for such degree and not sure why.  

[UND69er]

2 hours ago, UNDDOM said:

To start, over half of today's college graduates are working in jobs that don't require a college degree.  I can think of many better investments for 50-60k

There are many schools where 50-60K is for one year. And a rare few where it's for one semester!!!! That's crazy, but true.

[Oxbow6]

4 hours ago, UNDDOM said:

Now list the bottom 20 degrees that are worthless... Music, Math, Psychology, Sociology, Arts, History, English, General Studies, Philosophy and Religion and so on.... hence the term 50%.  Yet kids will blow 50K for such degree and not sure why.  

If you have green hair and a nose septum ring and support Lindsay Clancy and you opt to invest dollars in degrees above that is on you...not the university.

Parenting helps too. All my kids have degrees in the top 10. The "You can be anything" and "You just need to be happy" parents have totally failed their kids.

[Johnny Five]

I'd say scam is a bit overstated, however, maybe not....does one need to take most of the generals associated - let's say Geography - for a Nursing degree?  

[CMSioux]

4 hours ago, UND69er said:

There are many schools where 50-60K is for one year. And a rare few where it's for one semester!!!! That's crazy, but true.

Why the soapbox lecture? 

[UND69er]

1 hour ago, CMSioux said:

Why the soapbox lecture? 

See comment from UNDDOM. 50-60K for a degree is a bargain. Bottom line, get a useful degree.

[thUNDer]

Big picture is there is much more to the college experience overall for most. A scam it is not but rather a choice, a passion, leaving home, a sense of belonging to a community, meeting your future, without minimizing the achievement to a ‘scam.’ Our measly BS degrees aren’t on either list but we’ll be forever grateful for our time & education at UND. I heard somewhere though that social work is on the rise but I digress 😏

[UNDBIZ]

18 hours ago, Oxbow6 said:

Hardly a scam but you do you.....

Job market for new computer science grads is pretty rough, but the experienced ones are still doing ok.  Accounting, data science, and engineering all likely to take significant hits in the next 4-7 years.

[Oxbow6]

2 hours ago, UNDBIZ said:

Job market for new computer science grads is pretty rough, but the experienced ones are still doing ok.  Accounting, data science, and engineering all likely to take significant hits in the next 4-7 years.

Copy that Mr. Forbes

[yzerman19]

Ahhhh...the great debate.  Is undergrad for growth and bettering oneself with education or is it to get a job?  I contend that really high paying jobs (working for somebody else) will ultimately still require a professional degree and or licensure.  You can always work for yourself or in the trades if you are solely focused on $.