2025 Top Online Community Colleges in North Dakota

Top Online Community Colleges in North Dakota

Public and private community colleges, technical colleges, and tribal colleges provide residents of North Dakota with an accessible and affordable foundational education.

Although tribal colleges serve mostly Native American students, enrollment is unrestricted.

Online associate degree programs usually take about two years to complete, paving the way for a student to then transfer to an online university in North Dakota if they desire to continue their education.

Below, we describe the various associate degree programs available through the many online community colleges in North Dakota.

Top Online Community Colleges in North Dakota

1. Bismarck State College

As a large public community college in Bismarck serving nearly 4000 students, Bismarck State awards primarily associate and certificates, with some four-year degrees. The student-to-faculty ratio is 14 to 1, and 70% of students are of traditional student age.

Associate degree programs are available online for:

• administrative assistant
• business administration
• cybersecurity & computer networks
• criminal justice
• electric power technology
• electrical transmission systems technology
• electronics technology certificate
• geographic information systems
• human services/eligibility worker
• industrial automation & robotics
• instrumentation and control technology
• management
• nuclear power technology
• petroleum production technology
• power generation technology
• process technology
• web page development and design

Bismarck State also provides online Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs in cybersecurity and information technology; energy management; and operations management.

2. Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Cankdeska Cikana Community College is a public tribal college in Fort Totten that has been serving the Spirit Lake Tribe since 1974. The student enrollment is just over 300, serving 86% Native American and 9% white, both traditional (<24) and nontraditional (>24) in age.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, most academic classes and programs went online. Be sure to contact the school to find out which programs are currently offered online at the time of your application.

CCCC offers associate degrees in the following fields, with a student-faculty ratio of 10 to 1:

• business administration
• indigenous studies
• early childhood education
• fine arts
• liberal arts
• social work
• natural resource management
• pre-engineering

3. Dakota College at Bottineau

Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) is a two-year public community college that enrolls just over 1000 students, three-quarters of whom are part-time. An interesting statistic is that only 56% of students are in-state, the others being from other US states or international.

More than half of Dakota College's students are enrolled exclusively online. The college's student-faculty ratio is 10 to 1.

Online programs are available in:

• accounting technology
• administrative assistant
• advertising and marketing
• liberal arts
• bookkeeping
• child development associate
• college studies
• human resource management
• medical administrative assistant
• medical assistant
• medical coding
• paraprofessional educator
• photography
• reception services
• recreation management
• small business management
• technical studies
• urban forest management

4. Dickinson State University

Although a public state university, Dickinson State offers a significant number of distinctive online associate degrees, so we include it in this list for you if you are an in-state student looking for an affordable online two-year degree.

Based in Dickinson, the school serves about 1,400 undergraduates each year, and about a third of each year's graduates receive certificates or associate degrees. The student-to-faculty ratio is 13 to 1.

More than 15 online certificates can be earned. Online associate programs are offered in:

• Associate of Applied Science in administration or information technology
• Associate of Arts in communication
• Associate of Science in agriculture sales/ service in equine management or equine training
• Associate of Science in criminal justice, elementary education, secondary education, or substance abuse counseling

5. Lake Region State College

Lake Region State College (LRSC) in Devils Lake is a public two-year college serving about 1700 students with one faculty for every 20 students. Most students are traditional age and enrolled part-time, with 43% exclusively taking online courses.

At Lake Region State College, online programs are offered in:

• Associate of Arts (transfer degree)
• Associate of Science (transfer degree)
• Business Administration in accounting, marketing, and/or management
• early childhood education
• fitness trainer technician
• law enforcement (also Peace Officer certificate)
• speech-language pathology paraprofessional

6. North Dakota State College of Science

Based in Wahpeton, North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) is a two-year public college serving nearly 3,000 undergraduate students. It offers a very healthy ratio of one faculty for every ten students.

Students are predominantly of traditional college age and are split between in-state and out-of-state. Half are enrolled part-time. Only 13% are exclusively enrolled in online courses or programs.

NDSCS offers online associate degree programs in more than two dozen liberal arts subjects to prepare students to transfer to a four-year school.

In addition, students can earn certificates or associate degrees online in business management, health information, information and communications technology, pharmacy technician, and technical studies.

7. Rasmussen University

Located in Fargo, Rasmussen University offers higher-level degrees but primarily awards two-year associate degrees. This private, for-profit university serves just under 500 undergraduates, with a student-faculty ratio of 11 to 1.

More than half its students are exclusively enrolled in online courses, with two-thirds of students being age 25 and over and more than half enrolled full-time. Demographically, 50% of students are white, while 25% are African American. Eight out of ten are female.

Online associate degrees are available in the following degree fields:

• accounting
• business management
• criminal justice
• early childhood education
• graphic design
• health information technician
• healthcare
• human resources and organizational leadership
• human services
• information technology
• marketing
• network systems administration
• paralegal
• software application development

8. Turtle Mountain Community College

You may also be interested in studying online at this private, nonprofit tribal college in Belcourt, North Dakota.

The 600 students at Turtle Mountain Community College, almost all Native Americans from North Dakota, are primarily earning their associate degrees, while some are also working on bachelor's degrees.

The student-faculty ratio is 10 to 1. One-third of students are non-traditional age (25 or over). One in five is exclusively taking online courses.

Degrees available from Turtle Mountain Community College include:

• Bachelor of Arts in Ogimaawiwin (leadership) and management and in Ojibwe language, C=culture and history
• Bachelor of Science in biology, elementary education, secondary English, secondary science education
• Associate of Arts in Anishinaabe language, education, and in Ogimaawi leadership
• Associate of Science in engineering and natural resource management
• Associate of Applied Science in accounting technician, building construction technician, business administration, cyber security & data privacy, electrical technician, health and fitness technician, medical administrative assistant, medical laboratory technician, network administrator, and web design

9. United Tribes Technical College

United Tribes Technical College is a private, not-for-profit tribal college managed by five tribal organizations: Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold, the Spirit Lake Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

Based in Bismarck, UTTC serves about 500 students each year from more than 75 tribes across the nation. Although a tribal school, the college welcomes students of all backgrounds.

It has a 12-to-1 student-faculty ratio and offers academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs: mostly certificates and associate degrees but some at the bachelor's level.

Enrollment is 84% Native American and almost exclusively full-time, with a mix of North Dakota and out-of-state students of varying ages. Only 22% enroll exclusively in online courses.

Online programs include an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in paralegal studies, an Associate of Science in criminal justice and in legal studies, and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in business administration and in criminal justice.

10. Williston State College

Another North Dakota two-year public college, Williston State College serves 900 students each year with a 20 to 1 student-faculty ratio. Demographically, students are mostly of traditional age and live in-state, with three out of ten enrolled exclusively in online courses.

In addition to having a good selection of general education courses online, WSC has four fully online programs in which you might enroll.

Online programs include the two transfer degree programs (Associate in Arts and Associate in Science) plus Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in accounting and in business management.

Is Community College Free in North Dakota?

While community college is not totally free in North Dakota, the low in-state tuition rates coupled with the high rate of financial aid awards can bring the cost to a very low level.

How Much Does Community College Cost in North Dakota?

As an example, the 'sticker price' at Bismarck State College tuition is just over $5,000 per year for full-time study, and 87% of students receive financial aid that averages $4,239 for grants and scholarships and $6,902 for student loans. (These funds can also help pay for room and board.)

At tribal colleges such as United Tribes Technical College, annual tuition and fees are $4,252, with 96% of students receiving an average of $7,077 in financial aid.

North Dakota Community College Degree Types

Most community colleges distinguish between two types of online degree programs: (1) Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and (2) academic Associate of Arts or Sciences transfer programs (for students who want to eventually earn a four-year degree).

Career Opportunities for North Dakota Community College Graduates

Associate degrees provide the foundation for a wide range of careers, from technical vocations and the trades to preparation for eventual bachelor's, master's, and other professional degrees.

Find an Online Community College Today

Reach out to one or more of the colleges or universities above to find out how you can earn an online associate degree.