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Best Trade Programs in North Dakota (2026)

Top 64 of 64 programs in North Dakota · Updated 2026

The best trade school programs in North Dakota, ranked by overall value. We scored 64 programs across North Dakota trade schools on earnings, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $46,345/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in ND

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$46,345/yr

Avg TSW Score

63/100

#1 Program

Practical Nursing

Bismarck State College

Top Trade Programs in North Dakota

Top 64 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Practical Nursing Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	84 83–85	$61,629/yr	117.6x
2	Criminal Justice Lake Region State College · Devils Lake, ND	87 83–88	$57,765/yr	114.5x
3	Practical Nursing Dakota College at Bottineau · Bottineau, ND	84 82–85	$60,969/yr	113.0x
4	Nursing Dakota College at Bottineau · Bottineau, ND	82 77–83	$71,421/yr	60.7x
5	Sales & Marketing North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND	78 75–80	$55,734/yr	50.3x
6	Nursing Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	81 76–81	$66,335/yr	64.2x
7	Nursing Lake Region State College · Devils Lake, ND	82 76–82	$68,214/yr	68.3x
8	Vehicle Repair Technology North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	70 69–70	$56,659/yr	52.8x
9	Nursing North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	78 72–79	$59,229/yr	57.3x
10	Nursing Williston State College · Williston, ND	79 75–80	$60,944/yr	61.8x
11	Electrical Installation Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	73 71–73	$57,065/yr	53.9x
12	Electrical Installation Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	80 75–81	$48,853/yr	150.1x
13	Welding & Metalworking North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	63 62–64	$51,647/yr	50.8x
14	Practical Nursing Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	69 67–70	$45,271/yr	41.4x
15	Practical Nursing North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	70 66–71	$41,956/yr	48.8x
16	Subject-Area Teaching Valley City State University · Valley City, ND	74 71–77	$44,886/yr	51.7x
17	Vehicle Repair Technology Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	74 71–75	$44,309/yr	105.0x
18	Agricultural Business North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	72 68–74	$48,646/yr	43.3x
19	Nursing Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	72 67–73	$68,119/yr	28.9x
20	Agricultural Business Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	71 63–74	$38,623/yr	56.0x
21	Business Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	69 65–71	$36,062/yr	38.0x
22	Criminal Justice Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	67 63–68	$47,447/yr	18.4x
23	Industrial Production Technology Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	74 69–75	$82,310/yr	108.6x
24	Clinical Laboratory Science University of North Dakota · Grand Forks, ND	67 65–68	$65,073/yr	58.4x
25	Business Administration Williston State College · Williston, ND	70 66–71	$36,138/yr	35.6x
26	Business Administration Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	69 63–71	$43,736/yr	18.9x
27	Accounting Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	69 64–71	$47,506/yr	36.4x
28	Agricultural Mechanization North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	64 62–65	$62,531/yr	56.5x
29	Welding & Metalworking Lynnes Welding Training · Fargo, ND	56 55–57	$45,833/yr	—
30	Electromechanical Technology Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	70 65–72	$77,701/yr	102.0x
31	Industrial Production Technology North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	63 61–64	$59,489/yr	49.2x
32	Business Administration North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	66 60–68	$31,594/yr	32.6x
33	Electrical Engineering Technology Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	70 65–72	$89,460/yr	108.8x
34	Dental Assisting North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	60 58–60	$48,565/yr	42.9x
35	Health Administration Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	63 57–65	$33,372/yr	29.4x
36	Health Administration Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	63 56–65	$39,372/yr	15.5x
37	Environmental Technology North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	58 58–59	$50,780/yr	41.8x
38	Accounting Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	62 55–65	$43,765/yr	19.5x
39	IT Management Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	61 54–64	$42,043/yr	15.5x
40	Business Operations Support Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	58 53–61	$32,345/yr	25.7x
41	Human Resources Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	61 55–63	$45,969/yr	20.1x
42	Allied Health Professions Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	57 53–57	$51,036/yr	22.9x
43	Teacher Education Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	56 53–57	$28,038/yr	20.9x
44	Computer Engineering Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	60 49–63	$48,263/yr	27.4x
45	Electrical Engineering Technology North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	58 50–60	$45,253/yr	57.7x
46	Medical Assisting Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	54 50–54	$35,350/yr	13.1x
47	Teacher Education Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	53 50–54	$28,337/yr	12.3x
48	Medical Assisting Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	53 50–54	$29,532/yr	25.9x
49	Liberal Arts & Humanities Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	50 47–50	$33,358/yr	47.2x
50	Clinical Laboratory Science Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	52 48–52	$43,637/yr	20.7x
51	Marketing Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	56 50–58	$44,293/yr	18.2x
52	Cosmetology The Salon Professional Academy-Fargo · Fargo, ND	50 46–51	$29,330/yr	—
53	Cosmetology The Hair Academy · Bismarck, ND	50 46–51	$29,327/yr	—
54	Cosmetology Josef's School of Hair Skin & Body-Grand Forks · Grand Forks, ND	49 46–50	$28,331/yr	—
55	Liberal Arts & Humanities Williston State College · Williston, ND	48 46–47	$31,871/yr	42.2x
56	Cosmetology Josef's School of Hair Skin & Body-Fargo · Fargo, ND	49 46–50	$28,331/yr	—
57	Legal Support Services Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	49 44–52	$40,492/yr	30.8x
58	Liberal Arts & Humanities North Dakota State College of Science · Wahpeton, ND	43 44–43	$31,521/yr	29.2x
59	Management Information Systems Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	48 39–51	$46,337/yr	19.9x
60	Human Services Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	44 41–45	$33,870/yr	13.0x
61	Design Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	43 39–45	$32,246/yr	11.7x
62	Liberal Arts & Humanities Lake Region State College · Devils Lake, ND	35 32–35	$19,014/yr	42.1x
63	Massage Therapy The Salon Professional Academy-Fargo · Fargo, ND	41 36–41	$24,541/yr	—
64	Legal Support Services Rasmussen University-North Dakota · Fargo, ND	41 34–44	$34,421/yr	15.8x

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Trades in North Dakota ranks 64 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.

Data sources

Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.

How to read the table

Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.

Caveats & limitations

Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 64 trade programs at North Dakota schools, drawn from 64 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best trade program in North Dakota?

By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Practical Nursing at Bismarck State College ranks #1 in North Dakota with a score of 84/100 and graduate earnings of $61,629/yr.

How many trade programs are in North Dakota?

Our database includes 64 trade programs across North Dakota schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2025.