North Dakota's public universities permanently dropped the SAT/ACT requirement for admission starting with fall 2023 applicants, so none of NDUS's schools (UND, NDSU, Minot State, Dickinson State, Valley City State, Mayville State, Bismarck State) require a score for fall 2027 entry; the two private colleges, University of Mary and University of Jamestown, are test optional as well, though University of Mary uses a score for its automatic-acceptance tier. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 9 colleges North Dakota families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers. The bottom rows show the score-based money North Dakota families can earn: Academic & CTE Scholarship ("ND Academic Scholarship").
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mary | Not published | 21-26 | 34.0% · most recent reporting cohort, 623 admits of 1, 831 applicants | Optional; score used for automatic-acceptance tiers, otherwise file goes to committee review |
| University of North Dakota | Not published | 21-27 | 76.9% · most recent reporting cohort, 6, 353 admits of 8, 261 applicants | Not required for admission |
| North Dakota State University | 1130-1430 · enrolled, fall 2024, CDS 2024-25 (only 13 enrollees, under 1%, submitted SAT) | 19-25 | 95.0% · fall 2024, CDS 2024-25 | Not required for admission |
| Minot State University | Not published | 18-24 | 72.2% · most recent reporting cohort, 538 admits of 745 applicants | Not required; used for course placement and some scholarships |
| Bismarck State College | Not published | 16-22 | 95.8% · most recent reporting cohort, 1, 402 admits of 1, 463 applicants | Not required for admission |
| Dickinson State University | Not published | 17-22 | 60.7% · most recent reporting cohort, 504 admits of 830 applicants | Not required; may be submitted for scholarship and placement |
| Valley City State University | Not published | 17-24 | 99.1% · most recent reporting cohort, 319 admits of 322 applicants | See school |
| University of Jamestown | Not published | 19-26 | 88.1% · most recent reporting cohort, 850 admits of 965 applicants | Test optional; GPA of 2.5+ is the stated requirement |
| Mayville State University | Not published | 18-23 | 71.2% · most recent reporting cohort, 208 admits of 292 applicants | Not required; may be submitted for scholarships and course placement |
| Academic & CTE Scholarship ("ND Academic Scholarship") | 24 ACT (or SAT equivalent) on the test-score eligibility path | See program rules | $6,000 total over 4 years | $750 per semester, usable within 6 years of high school graduation, at any accredited ND college or qualifying apprenticeship; this test-score path requires a 3.0 GPA on required coursework plus a grade of C or better in each required unit (a separate no-test path exists at a 3.0 GPA on all coursework) |
Cohort notes: Mary: North Dakota's most selective college by acceptance rate; a private Catholic university in Bismarck. UND: The state's flagship and largest research university, in Grand Forks. NDSU: Fargo's land-grant research university; admits nearly every applicant. Minot State: Admission runs on GPA and core coursework, not test scores. Bismarck State: A polytechnic institution with some bachelor's-degree programs alongside its two-year degrees. Dickinson State: Western North Dakota's regional public university. Valley City State: Admits essentially all applicants; a laptop-focused teacher's college in Valley City. Jamestown: A small private university that does not publish an SAT range. Mayville State: A small public university that does not publish an SAT range. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreMary does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 34.0% of 1,831 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 623 admits of 1, 831 applicants). The matching ACT range is 21-26. Testing for fall 2027: Optional; score used for automatic-acceptance tiers, otherwise file goes to committee review. North Dakota's most selective college by acceptance rate; a private Catholic university in Bismarck.
UND does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 76.9% of 8,261 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 6, 353 admits of 8, 261 applicants). The matching ACT range is 21-27. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission. The state's flagship and largest research university, in Grand Forks.
NDSU reports a 1130 to 1430 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024, CDS 2024-25 (only 13 enrollees, under 1%, submitted SAT)). It admitted 95.0% of 7,228 applicants (fall 2024, CDS 2024-25). The matching ACT range is 19-25. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission. Fargo's land-grant research university; admits nearly every applicant.
Minot State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 72.2% of 745 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 538 admits of 745 applicants). The matching ACT range is 18-24. Testing for fall 2027: Not required; used for course placement and some scholarships. Admission runs on GPA and core coursework, not test scores.
Bismarck State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 95.8% of 1,463 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 1, 402 admits of 1, 463 applicants). The matching ACT range is 16-22. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission. A polytechnic institution with some bachelor's-degree programs alongside its two-year degrees.
Dickinson State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 60.7% of 830 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 504 admits of 830 applicants). The matching ACT range is 17-22. Testing for fall 2027: Not required; may be submitted for scholarship and placement. Western North Dakota's regional public university.
Valley City State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 99.1% of 322 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 319 admits of 322 applicants). The matching ACT range is 17-24. Admits essentially all applicants; a laptop-focused teacher's college in Valley City.
Jamestown does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 88.1% of 965 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 850 admits of 965 applicants). The matching ACT range is 19-26. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional; GPA of 2.5+ is the stated requirement. A small private university that does not publish an SAT range.
Mayville State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 71.2% of 292 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 208 admits of 292 applicants). The matching ACT range is 18-23. Testing for fall 2027: Not required; may be submitted for scholarships and course placement. A small public university that does not publish an SAT range.
North Dakota ties its top scholarship directly to an ACT/SAT composite score (the ND Scholars Program); a second, GPA-based state scholarship offers a smaller test-linked path for students who fall short of that bar.
Academic & CTE Scholarship ("ND Academic Scholarship"): 24 ACT (or SAT equivalent) on the test-score eligibility path. $750 per semester, usable within 6 years of high school graduation, at any accredited ND college or qualifying apprenticeship; this test-score path requires a 3.0 GPA on required coursework plus a grade of C or better in each required unit (a separate no-test path exists at a 3.0 GPA on all coursework).
ND Scholars awards rank students by ACT/SAT composite, then by sum of scale scores, then English+math, using only scores from a test taken between July 1 and June 30 of the student's junior year; renewal needs a 3.5 college GPA and the award caps at 8 semesters or a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. The Academic & CTE Scholarship renews at a 2.75 college GPA and pays out over up to 6 years after graduation. Neither award may push a student's aid above their cost of attendance.
Mary and Jamestown are test optional for fall 2027, so many families assume the score is irrelevant. The ranges above come from the students who chose to send one, and they sit well above the overall class. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.
You need a composite score at or above the North Dakota equivalent of a 30 ACT, ranked against other North Dakota test-takers from the same testing window, to be considered for the ND Scholars Program. Meeting that bar does not guarantee the award: only about 30 new awards go out each year because funding is limited, and students are ranked in descending order by score until the money runs out.
No. UND does not require an SAT or ACT score for admission, and North Dakota's public universities permanently dropped the testing requirement starting with fall 2023 applicants. Students may still submit a score for scholarship consideration and for English or math course placement.
Not currently. North Dakota funded a free ACT for every 11th grader through the 2020-21 school year, but the state stopped paying for that testing beginning with the 2021-22 school year, and a related state-testing option for districts ended after 2023-24. Families who want a score now generally register and pay for the ACT or SAT on their own, though some districts still arrange their own testing.
NDSU's enrolled first-years who submitted a score scored between 1090 and 1360 on the SAT (19 to 25 on the ACT), and NDSU admits nearly all applicants, about 95%. NDSU is test optional, so this range reflects only the students who chose to submit a score, not the full admitted class.
Yes, if money is on the table. Every public university in the state is test optional for admission itself, but the ND Scholars Program and the Academic & CTE Scholarship's test-score path both run on an ACT or SAT composite, and University of Mary uses a score to decide automatic acceptance. A student aiming at those specific dollars still needs a score even though no application will be rejected for missing one.
No. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not an admission cutoff. Some rows describe enrolled students or score submitters only, as labeled. A position within a range does not guarantee admission or merit aid.
University and state sources: Mary, UND, NDSU, Minot State, Bismarck State, Dickinson State, Valley City State, Jamestown, Mayville State, Academic & CTE Scholarship ("ND Academic Scholarship"). Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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