Valley City State University
Valley City, ND · Public · Town (remote) · VCSU
Public institution in Valley City, ND · 918 undergraduates · 69% acceptance rate · $52,725 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 21%In-state tuition & fees
- Top 21%Cost of attendance
- Top 23%Out-of-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $13,613557th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,514425th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $13,478467th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $20,713407th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,369671st lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $52,725922nd highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $45,820813th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 48.1%1,222nd highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 66.0%1,420th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 69.3%586th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1090704th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 20798th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 9181,405th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 12.0:1782nd smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 17.3%1,838th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 269 mi (MSP)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 26 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $41,937 | $43,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $38,829 | $38,289 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $37,363 | $37,537 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $33,993 | — |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementNatural Resources | bachelors | $33,993 | $38,289 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $26,896 | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | — | — |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | — | — |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1889source
- Athletic nickname: "Vikings"source
- School colors: #98002E and #003366source
- Formerly known as "Valley City State Normal School" (1890–1921)source
- Formerly known as "Valley City State Teachers College" (1921–1963)source
- Formerly known as "Valley City State College" (1963–1986)source
- Formerly known as "State University of North Dakota at Valley City" (1986–1987)source
- Athletic conference: NAIAsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
Athletics — 7 sports
NAIA Division II · NAIA
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $786,845 (M $545,199 · W $241,646)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Valley City State University’s 918 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In ND
- University of JamestownJamestown, ND · 947 undergrads
- Dickinson State UniversityDickinson, ND · 1,108 undergrads
- Mayville State UniversityMayville, ND · 704 undergrads
- Turtle Mountain Community CollegeBelcourt, ND · 613 undergrads
- United Tribes Technical CollegeBismarck, ND · 532 undergrads
- Sitting Bull CollegeFort Yates, ND · 226 undergrads
Elsewhere
- The University of OlivetOlivet, MI · 918 undergrads
- Inter American University of Puerto Rico-BarranquitasBarranquitas, PR · 919 undergrads
- Keuka CollegeKeuka Park, NY · 920 undergrads
- University of Alaska SoutheastJuneau, AK · 920 undergrads
- Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CA · 915 undergrads
- Yeshivath ViznitzMonsey, NY · 921 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitevcsu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 200572)
- Compare colleges in NDRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in North DakotaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with University of JamestownSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Valley City State University vs University of JamestownHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.