Best Community Colleges in North Dakota

Why Attend Community College in North Dakota?

Attending a community college in North Dakota is a smart alternative to more expensive private institutions, and they come with many benefits. Despite the high price of tuition at some universities, community colleges in North Dakota remain among the most affordable in the country. For example, the Turtle Mountain Community College located in Belcourt has a net price of only $4,700 per year, which is almost a quarter of the cost compared with larger, private universities. Additionally, there are three additional community colleges - Bismarck State College, United Tribes Technical College, and Cankdeska Cikana Community College.

What Career Pathways Are Available in North Dakota?

North Dakota is home to 565 job types - which ranges 21.7% lower than the national median of 700. This puts the state in the 45th percentile for this measure. All in all, the state provides jobs for about 0.28% of the total workforce in the U.S. North Dakota is well-positioned in the middle of the nation in a few areas of production, which include advanced manufacturing, oil and gas, and technology.

The state is not too competitive on the job quantity front, employing 395,060 total employees - making it the least populated state in the nation in terms of labor force. North Dakota falls short of the median state - Oregon, by 1,430,310 (-78.4%) - the most significant discrepancy amongst all states. South Dakota, its closest neighbor, is more populous but still more than 26,170 (-8.2%) fewer than Oregon.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in North Dakota?

Although the number of job types is slightly below the national median, North Dakota still has some great job options for prospective students. Some of the most popular are secretaries and administrative assistants, teaching assistants, and accountants and auditors.

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

In North Dakota, secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive hold 5,340 positions, making it the 46th most common occupation in the state. Unfortunately, the pay isn’t great (as it ranks in the 22nd spot), with median compensation of $37,810. North Dakota falls 42% behind California, the highest paying state at $55,580. Moreover, it falls 96.6% behind California in terms of job quantity - where 172,560 administrators are employed in the state versus just 5,340 in North Dakota.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary

The national median for teaching assistants is 1,187,270 - and North Dakota falls in line pretty close to that figure. That translates to about 5,070 teaching assistants in the state - putting it in the 41st spot - unusual for the lower population in the state when compared to other job types. Although the pay isn’t great (ranking 12th in the nation), at $36,330 - it’s still higher than 22% of states. Again, California is the highest paying state with a median paycheck of $45,040 - 96% higher than North Dakota.

Accountants and Auditors

Within the state, there are 4,590 accountants and auditors - the 45th most of any state in the nation. In terms of median salary, North Dakota ranks in the 45th percentile at $62,320 - where the highest state (California) pays approximately $10,000 more. As a whole, North Dakota falls 10.5% behind the nation median salary, which is found in Ohio at $69,600. Individuals who reach the upper echelons of this profession can receive a 63% bonus in terms of pay, getting them up to nearly $105,000 annually.