Is the University of North Dakota a good university?

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🎓 Reputation & Rankings

  • National Tier – Ranked around #244 among U.S. national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2025 research.com+15usnews.com+15reddit.com+15.

  • Research Status – Classified as an R1 institution (“very high research activity”) with strong research centers in aerospace, energy, medicine, environmental science, and nutrition en.wikipedia.org.

  • Strong Regional Standing – Frequently ranks in the top 2 among North Dakota’s colleges (e.g. on Niche it’s #2 overall, #1 for academics in the state) niche.com.

🌟 Key Strengths

Aviation & Aerospace

  • John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is one of the largest and most well-established in North America—boasting a fleet of over 120 aircraft, multiple flight centers, and frequent top finishes in national competitions reddit.com+8en.wikipedia.org+8en.wikipedia.org+8.

  • Students and alumni on Reddit often recommend UND specifically for air traffic control and aviation degrees due to its strong track record and airline placements niche.com+7reddit.com+7reddit.com+7.

Medicine & Health Sciences

  • UND houses North Dakota’s only medical school, which ranks highly in rural medicine and family practice, and has significantly contributed to the state’s physician workforce niche.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15niche.com+15.

Career Outcomes

  • High post-graduation success: ~92% of grads are employed, in grad school, or on professional paths within six months niche.com+4standyou.com+4usnews.com+4.

  • Notable salary potential in key fields (e.g. aerospace/aviation ~$75K–90K, engineering ~$70K–85K) standyou.com.

👍 Campus Life & Student Reviews

Pros

Cons

  • Location & Weather – Grand Forks is small and gets extremely cold winters (down to −39 °F), and students mention limited off-campus activity en.wikipedia.org+15reddit.com+15niche.com+15.

  • Campus layout – Walking between buildings can be unpleasant in harsh weather, and parking may be inconvenient niche.com+1tripadvisor.com+1.

  • Department variation – Some programs (like chemistry or math) are perceived as average, while others excel .

  • Party culture – Greek life and partying are significant, which may be off-putting to some, especially in certain social scenes niche.com+2reddit.com+2reddit.com+2.

👥 What Und Students Say

From Reddit:

“UND has an internationally competitive aviation program… UND is a feeder school into many of the large international airlines…” reddit.com+10reddit.com+10reddit.com+10
“Well if you are going for ATC I would certainly recommend UND… they are all getting offers from the FAA academy before they even graduate.” reddit.com

On campus social life:

“Greek life is pretty active… For most students, drinking and hanging out with friends is the norm for fun.” reddit.com
“Social scene depends… if you want to hang and chat in the student union… I’ve made friends here that way.” reddit.com

✅ Final Take

Yes, UND is a good university—especially if you’re interested in aviation/aerospace, health sciences, engineering, or research. It delivers strong academics, hands-on experiences, and solid career outcomes at a reasonable cost.

🔍 Just consider:

  • Can you handle winter weather and a smaller-town environment?

  • Does your intended major align with UND’s strong programs?

If aviation, ATC, medicine or related STEM fields are your passion, UND stands out as a very smart choice.

Let me know if you’d like more details—say, on specific majors, international student support, financial aid, or comparisons with other schools!

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