University of North Dakota

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Students Say - Academics
Size and affordability are very nice draws at the University of North Dakota. The number of undergrads here is ideal, and UND offers "the best bang for the buck anywhere." North Dakota residents can attend for a song and reciprocity agreements provide enticing tuition breaks for students from a number of Western states. There are nearly 90 undergraduate majors. Nursing and engineering are reportedly solid. The aviation and aerospace programs are some of the very best anywhere in the world. UND owns the biggest non-military fleet of training aircraft on the planet, and students boast that a UND degree has quite a bit of prestige among airlines and in the aviation industry generally. "If you're considering air-traffic control, this is the school to be at," advises one student. Another unique program is the Center for Innovation, which provides internships for undergrads who want to launch a business. Additionally, there are more than 30 specialized academic programs for American Indians. Students describe the overall academic experience at UND as "pretty good" "and not too stressful." Despite some frustrating bureaucracy, most students appreciate the "helpful" administration. The faculty is "highly qualified" but sometimes hit-or-miss in the classroom. Some professors are "excellent teachers who genuinely care for their students." Others "seem to be distant at times." As a result, courses can range "from absolutely awesome to really annoying."

Students Say - Campus Life
UND's "very safe" campus is "pretty no matter what time of year," and the "rural" locale of Grand Forks serves up plenty of "small-town atmosphere." It's important to understand this school is "located in the tundra of the world," though. Winters are long and brutal. "It's way too cold up here" (like "grimacing-in-pain" cold). Student activities at UND run the gamut. There are more than 200 clubs and organizations. The student recreation center is enormous and state of the art. Intramural sports are quite popular, and many students are "huge supporters of the Fighting Sioux," the intercollegiate athletic teams. Specifically, "hockey is king here." The team is formidable year in and year out, and it has won several national championships. Home games in the "breathtaking" arena are well attended and "extremely fun." About 10 percent of the student population is involved in the Greek scene. Students report the fraternities and sororities loom large in the social scheme of things, though, so that percentage often seems higher. Beginning on Friday (or maybe Thursday), "everybody is on a quest to entertain themselves, usually through alcohol consumption." Many students "drink every weekend," either at the frats or at "bars or house parties."

Students Say - Student Body
Students here describe themselves as "really friendly." They "have their head on straight," and they know how to handle seriously frigid weather. According to UND, there's somebody on this campus from every state. However, the overwhelming majority of students come "from rural areas in the Midwest." A little more than half of the undergrads are North Dakota residents. Nearly one-third hails from neighboring Minnesota. (The school is essentially located on the state line.) South Dakota residents have a presence, too. Students from anywhere else usually end up at UND because of the aviation program, and those students tend to form their own little worlds. "This is Scandinavian country," so you'll see "a lot of Nordic-descended people." Tall, blue-eyed blonds are pretty common. Native Americans make up the largest non-white ethnic group. "There are not too many minority students," but that information shouldn't be surprising given UND's rural location and the regional demographics.

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