How to Apply to NDSU as an Undergraduate or Graduate Student

Apply to NDSU through the admission path that matches your degree level: prospective undergraduates use the Undergraduate admission entry, while prospective graduate students go through the Graduate School. NDSU's site presents these as two separate routes, so the first decision is which one applies to you — then confirm your program's requirements, deadlines, and materials on the relevant page before starting.

Choose your applicant type first

NDSU's homepage separates its main audiences into undergraduate, graduate, degree-completion, and online tracks. Picking the wrong one is the most common way to waste time on an application.

The site also lists Undergraduate admission and Graduate School as distinct calls to action, confirming that these are not the same application.

Undergraduate applicants

1. Go to the Undergraduate admission section from the NDSU homepage.
2. Review the admission requirements and deadlines listed there — these are program- and term-specific, so check the current page rather than relying on secondhand summaries.
3. Prepare the materials the page asks for. NDSU describes itself as providing "affordable access to an excellent education," but the site excerpt does not list tuition figures or a fee waiver, so confirm costs on the official page.
4. Submit your application and watch for confirmation from the admissions office.

If you are unsure whether NDSU is the right fit, the site offers a Visit NDSU option in Fargo and periodic events such as Discover NDSU (listed for Oct. 15 & 16), where you can tour campus, meet students and professors, and review academic programs before applying.

Graduate applicants

1. Start at the Graduate School page linked from the NDSU homepage.
2. Identify your intended program, since graduate requirements are set at the program level rather than uniformly across the university.
3. Confirm the application materials and deadlines your program specifies.
4. Submit through the Graduate School route — not the undergraduate admission form.

NDSU describes itself as an R1 land-grant research university, and its graduate messaging emphasizes working "alongside bold, innovative experts," so expect program pages to carry the specific research and faculty details you need.

What to verify before you submit

• Deadlines — the homepage excerpt does not state them; check the page for your term and program.
• Required materials — transcripts, test scores, and recommendations vary by level and program.
• Costs and aid — no pricing signals appear in the available NDSU content, so treat any figure you see elsewhere as unverified until you find it on an official page.
• Program fit — use the program listings under "Find Your Horizon" to confirm the degree exists in the format you want (on-campus, online, or degree-completion).

Common sticking points

• Using the wrong portal. Undergraduate and graduate admission are separate; submitting to the wrong one delays review.
• Assuming one deadline fits all. Requirements are tied to specific programs and terms.
• Skipping the visit. NDSU runs campus visits and events like Discover NDSU, which can answer questions that application pages do not.

For anything time-sensitive — deadlines, fees, or document requirements — go directly to the Undergraduate admission or Graduate School page, since those are the authoritative sources and can change between terms.