University of North Dakota – Profile, Ranking and Costs

The University of North Dakota (UND) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota.

The university has the only schools of law and medicine in the state of North Dakota. The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences was the first in the country to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operation. Several national research institutions are on the university’s campus including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center. It is classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity”.

University of North Dakota

Motto	Lux et Lex (Latin)
Motto in English	“Light and Law”
Type	Public research university
Established	1883; 141 years ago
Parent institution	North Dakota University System
Accreditation	HLC
Academic affiliations	UArctic Space-grant
Endowment	$422.1 million (2024)
President	Andrew Armacost
Provost	Eric Link
Academic staff	823
Administrative staff	2,051
Students	15,019 (fall 2024)
Undergraduates	11,033 (fall 2024)
Postgraduates	3,483 (fall 2024)
Location	Grand Forks , North Dakota , United States
Campus	Small city, 521 acres (2.11 km2)
Newspaper	The Dakota Student
Colors	UND Green and White
Nickname	Fighting Hawks
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FCS – Summit League NCHC MVFC
Mascot	The Fighting Hawk
Website	www.und.edu

History

UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state. UND was founded with a liberal arts foundation and expanded to include scientific research. Grand Forks native George H. Walsh submitted the bill to the Territorial Legislature of Dakota Territory that called for the new state of North Dakota’s university to be in Grand Forks. The first classes were held on September 8, 1884.

The first building at UND, Old Main, housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library. In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property, surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of the city of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train or a horse and carriage bus, dubbed the “Black Maria”, from downtown to the campus.

As the university grew, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to downtown Grand Forks. However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the country’s hardest-hit single institution by the flu epidemic that killed 1,400 people in North Dakota alone.

Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I. During the Great Depression, UND provided free housing to students willing to do manual labor on campus. “Camp Depression,” as it was called, consisted of railroad cabooses that each housed eight male students. “Camp Depression” students did not get regular meals from the cafeteria and had to be satisfied with free leftovers. However, Grand Forks citizens often opened their homes and kitchen tables to many of these young men.

After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000. A large amount of housing and several academic buildings had to be built on campus. The 1950s saw the rise of the Fighting Sioux hockey tradition. In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND. The largest was in May 1970 when over 1,500 students protested the Kent State shootings. In 1975, enrollment swelled to a record 8,500. The 1970s also saw the establishment of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. During the 1980s and 1990s the university continued to grow. However, the devastating 1997 Red River flood inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year.

The start of the 21st century was marked by the opening of two major venues for UND athletics. The Ralph Engelstad Arena, home of men’s and women’s hockey, and the Alerus Center, home of UND football, both opened in 2001. The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center opened in August 2004, and serves as home to UND volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

Millions of dollars worth of construction and renovation projects have dotted the campus landscape. As part of a plan to improve student facilities on campus, UND constructed a Wellness Center, a parking garage, new Memorial Union, renovated library, renovated Gershman Center for graduate students, and an apartment-style housing complex. Other construction projects around campus have included a new LEED Platinum-certified alumni center, a renovated and expanded College of Education and Human Development, and an expanded Energy and Environmental Research Center. In 2016, a $124-million Medicine and Health Services building was built on the north end of campus.

In 2015, UND’s economic impact on the state and region was estimated to be more than $1.4 billion a year according to the NDUS Systemwide Economic Study by the School of Economics at North Dakota State University. It was the fourth-largest employer in the state of North Dakota, after the Air Force.

In August 2021, UND became the first participant in the United States Space Force’s University Partnership program.

The University of North Dakota’s main campus sits in the middle of Grand Forks on University Avenue. The campus is made up of 240 buildings (6.4 million square feet) on 521 acres (2.11 km²). The campus stretches roughly one and half miles from east to west and is divided by the meandering English Coulee. The western edge is bordered by Interstate 29, the eastern edge is bordered with University Park, the Grand Forks railyards sit on the south side, and the north side is marked by U.S. Highway 2 which is called Gateway Drive in Grand Forks.

The central campus area, the oldest part of UND, has many historic buildings.^[29] This area is home to most academic buildings on campus. At the heart of campus sits the Chester Fritz Library, the largest library in North Dakota. The 82-foot (25 m) tower of the library is a familiar landmark on University Avenue.

Behind the library is the park-like setting of the central campus mall. The mall includes several statues and is a popular place for students to study. The mall is lined with historic buildings including Merrifield Hall, Twamley Hall, Babcock Hall, Montgomery Hall, and the old Carnegie Library. Old Main Memorial Plaza and the eternal flame of the Old Main Memorial Sphere mark the location of Old Main, the first building on campus. Other buildings in the central part of campus include the School of Law, the North Dakota Museum of Art, Memorial Union, Gamble Hall, and Burtness Theatre.

The English Coulee flows along the western edge of the central campus area and on the western bank of the Coulee sits the Chester Fritz Auditorium and the Hughes Fine Arts Center. The historic 1907 Adelphi Fountain is next to the Coulee as is the on-campus Spiritual Center.

On the eastern edge of the central campus is the Frederick “Fritz” D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center and the Hyslop Auditorium. The eastern part of campus is also the home of the Energy and Environmental Research Center complex which includes the National Center for Hydrogen Technology. The Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, which is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture, is also in this part of campus. A five-story parking garage sits at the corner of University Avenue and Columbia Road. At the extreme eastern portion of campus sits University Park which is operated by the Grand Forks Park District.

To the north of the central campus area, along Columbia Road, sits Columbia Hall, home to the College of Arts & Sciences. A new School of Medicine and Health Sciences building opened in 2016. Other buildings located along Columbia Road include the Biomedical Research Center and the Neuroscience Research Facility.

Also north of the main campus is an area called University Village. This land sat virtually empty for decades, but has recently been developed for UND, commercial, and residential purposes. University Village is anchored by the $100 million Ralph Engelstad Arena, which is used by the men’s hockey team. University Village is also home to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, the Student Wellness Center, university apartments, the UND bookstore, a medical clinic, and several residential and commercial properties.

The western part of the UND campus has modern styles of architecture. This area is home to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, which includes Odegard Hall, Streibel Hall, Clifford Hall, Ryan Hall, and Robin Hall. Directly adjacent to the Aerospace Complex sits the Skalicky Business Incubator, the Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center, the Tech Accelerator, which houses the University of North Dakota’s Center of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies (COELSAT), and a Hilton Garden Inn. The western part of campus is also the location of most residence halls and student apartments.

UND operates a satellite campus consisting of several buildings at Grand Forks International Airport where aviation students train. UND Aerospace also operates flight training centers in Crookston, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Arizona. UND owns and operates Ray Richards nine hole golf course south of the main UND campus. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences operates several clinics throughout North Dakota. The UND football team is a major tenant of the city of Grand Forks-owned Alerus Center.

The Gorecki Alumni Center on campus is North Dakota’s first LEED Platinum building. A combination of geothermal and solar panels are used to power the building.

UND offers more than 225 fields of study, including 108 undergraduate majors, 69 minors, 81 master’s programs, 37 doctoral programs, and two professional programs (medicine and law). UND also has an interdisciplinary program that allows students to obtain a degree in virtually any course of study.

A collection of online classes and degree programs are offered for students around the nation and world. This online program has been highly ranked by US News and other leading online college rankings. On campus, academic classrooms range from smaller rooms capable of seating around twenty students to large lecture bowls capable of seating hundreds at a time. All areas have wireless access for laptops and technologically equipped classrooms enable professors to offer interactive lectures.

The university has ten academic divisions:

• John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences
• College of Arts & Sciences
• Nistler College of Business & Public Administration
• College of Education & Human Development
• College of Engineering & Mines
• School of Graduate Studies
• School of Law
• School of Medicine & Health Sciences
• College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines

UND has three major libraries which, together, form the largest system of research libraries in the state of North Dakota. The Chester Fritz Library is the largest library in the state. It houses 1.6 million volumes, provides access to approximately 28,000 electronic journal subscriptions, and owns over 20,000 electronic books.

It also serves as a U.S. patent and trademark depository and a government document depository.^] UND’s special collections department is known for its genealogical resources, including Norwegian Bygdeboker, or Norwegian farm and town records. Branches of the Chester Fritz Library include the Energy and Environmental Research Library, the F.D. Holland Geology Library, and the Gordon Erickson Music Library. The School of Law operates the Thormodsgard Law Library^[ and the School of Medicine operates the Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences.

Sanford Health, Altru Health System, Essentia Health partnered with University of North Dakota to further medical education and simulations in a fleet of 4 trucks for North Dakota, allowing continued medical education all across the state.

Extracurricular

UND is classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity”. This level of research activity is shown in UND’s research statistics which, in fiscal year 2006, included program awards that reached $94.3 million, sponsored program expenditures that reached $81.2 million, and an overall research portfolio that included $315 million in total ongoing and committed accounts.

Research activity at UND focuses on health sciences, nutrition, energy and environmental protection, aerospace, and engineering. As a major component of the Red River Valley Research Corridor, UND operates many research units including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine, the Institute for Energy Studies, the Center for Rural Health, the Center for Innovation, the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium, the Bureau of Governmental Affairs, the Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research, and the Social Science Research Institute.

The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), on the eastern fringes of the UND campus, has been recognized as a leader in researching cleaner, more efficient forms of energy. The EERC operates a number of research units at UND including the National Center for Hydrogen Technology.

North Dakota’s 17 athletic teams compete in the NCAA’s Division I. Teams compete in the Summit League, except men’s hockey, which is in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, and the football team, which is in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (within the FCS subdivision). The men’s ice hockey team has won eight national championships, has been runner-up five times and play in the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The football team won the Division II national championship in 2001 and was the runner-up in 2003, and play at the Alerus Center. The basketball and volleyball teams play in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The women’s basketball team has won three national championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999 and was runner-up in 2001.

The colors of UND athletics are green and white, which were adopted in the 1920s. The university’s official school colors are green and pink, representative of North Dakota’s state flower, the Wild Prairie Rose; however, this combination is rarely employed outside of official or ceremonial applications. From 1904 until 1930, UND’s athletic teams bore the name of the Flickertails.

Afterward they were the Fighting Sioux, but were without a nickname and mascot from 2012 to 2015, in compliance with the NCAA’s policy against the use of Native American nicknames. On November 18, 2015, it was announced the new nickname would be “Fighting Hawks”, effective immediately.

A notable UND athletic alumnus is National Basketball Association (NBA) coach and former player Phil Jackson, widely considered one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. In addition, many UND alumni have played in the National Hockey League (NHL), including: Minnesota Wild wing Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac, Los Angeles Kings defensemen Matt Greene and Mike Commodore, Chicago Blackhawks forward and captain Jonathan Toews, Vancouver Canucks wing Brock Boeser, former NHL goalie Ed Belfour, and Washington Capitals forward T. J. Oshie.

The school’s primary fight song is “Stand Up and Cheer”. Two other fight songs are “UND” and It’s for You, North Dakota U (or North Dakota U), composed by Franz Rickaby in 1921.

Over 14,000 students attend classes on the UND campus each year. About 34 percent of the student body is from North Dakota and the other 56 percent is made up of students from other states and 99 nations. Students can live on or off campus. On campus, there are 14 residence halls and 700 student apartment units, as well as thirteen fraternities and seven sororities. There are over 275 student organizations at UND as well as an intramural sports program.

The fraternity and sorority community has a rich history at the University of North Dakota. There are approximately 20 Greek houses on campus.

The North Dakota Museum of Art, the official art museum of the state of North Dakota, is in the heart of campus and offers exhibits throughout the year. The Burtness Theater and the Chester Fritz Auditorium regularly feature theater and concert events. The Ralph Engelstad Arena also features non-athletic events including concerts. The nearby city-owned Alerus Center hosts several concerts each year as well as other events.

Each year, UND hosts the University of North Dakota Writers Conference. This is a week-long event that brings together prominent American and foreign writers. Participants have included Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, Tom Wolfe, Allen Ginsberg, Louise Erdrich, Chuck Klosterman, and Gary Snyder.

The Dakota Student is UND’s student newspaper.

North Dakota Quarterly, a literary journal, is edited at UND.

The North Dakota Law Review, published by the School of Law since 1924, serves as the journal of the State Bar Association of North Dakota.

The Alumni Review is published by the UND Alumni Association and Foundation.

Alumni of the University of North Dakota have become notable in a variety of different fields including politics and government, business, science, literature, arts and entertainment, and athletics. Eight Governors of North Dakota were educated at UND, including Fred G. Aandahl, Louis B. Hanna, Lynn Frazier,

William Langer John Moses, Ragnvald A. Nestos, Allen I. Olson, and Ed Schafer, who was also the US Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009. Former Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House, Mark Pfeifle is a 1997 graduate in the School of Communications. Many U.S. Senators and Representatives of North Dakota were also graduates of UND, including former Senator Byron Dorgan, former Representative Earl Pomeroy and current-serving Representative Kelly Armstrong.

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is a UND graduate. Ronald Davies, a UND graduate and former federal judge, became a part of history when he ordered the integration of Little Rock Central High School during the Civil Rights Movement. Leigh Gerdine who was president of Webster University and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1989. UND alumni who went on to notable careers in the business world include chairman of TNSE & president of the Winnipeg Jets hockey club Mark Chipman, current president and former CEO of Cargill Gregory R. Page, current president and CEO of the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain Sally J. Smith, current CEO of Forum Communications William C. Marcil, former Las Vegas casino owner and UND philanthropist Ralph Engelstad, and former CEO of American Skandia and founder of WealthVest Marketing Wade Dokken. Former Canadian Football League player and founder of Golden Star Resources, Dave Fennell. Founder and chairman of Nygård International, Peter Nygård.

In the realm of science, notable UND alumni include important contributor to information theory Harry Nyquist, pioneer aviator Carl Ben Eielson, Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, engineer and NASA astronaut Karen L. Nyberg, and leading NASA manager John H. Disher. Pearl I. Young, a UND graduate in 1919, became the first female technical employee at NASA (then NACA) in 1922, her contributions to the agency resulted in a theater at NASA Langley in 1995.

Alumni who have become notable through literature include the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author Maxwell Anderson, Rhodes scholar and poet Thomas McGrath, essayist and journalist Chuck Klosterman, and novelist Jon Hassler. UND graduates have become editors of major magazines: Carroll Eugene Simcox of The Living Church, former Ebony editor Era Bell Thompson and former LIFE editor Edward K. Thompson. Alumni who have become notable in arts and entertainment include actor Sam Anderson and America’s Next Top Model winner Nicole Linkletter.

Former UND students who have gone on to notable careers in athletics include former NBA player and coach and former president of the New York Knicks, Phil Jackson, 1980 Winter Olympics “Miracle on Ice” hockey player Dave Christian, NHL players Ed Belfour and Zach Parise, and professional football players Jim Kleinsasser and Dave Osborn. As of the 2018–19 season, more than 20 former UND players are in the NHL and more than 100 former players have played in the NHL.