History, Affiliations and Rankings

The University of North Dakota was founded in 1890 after it was granted the land for a public university. Initially, it was the University of Fargo. The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state. UND began with a liberal arts foundation and has now expanded to encompass scientific research. Grand Forks resident George H. Walsh proposed to the Dakota Territory Territorial Legislature that the future state university of North Dakota be located in Grand Forks. On September 8, 1884, the first classes were held. Old Main, UND's first structure, housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library. In the 1880s, UND was merely a few acres of land surrounded by farms and fields, about two miles west of Grand Forks. Students living off-campus had to ride a train or the "Black Maria," a horse and carriage transport, from downtown to college. More buildings were built on campus as the university expanded, and a trolley system was developed to connect the expanding university to downtown Grand Forks. The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The graduate programs of the university are recognised by the National Research Council. The University is also ranked #277 by the Best National Universities by the US News & World Report’s Rankings.

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Spread across 258 acres, the campus of the University of North Dakota has more than 100 buildings in it. The campus landscape has been studded with building and remodelling projects worth millions of dollars. UND built a Wellness Center, a parking garage, a new Memorial Union, a refurbished library, a renovated Gershman Center for graduate students, and an apartment-style housing complex as part of a plan to improve student facilities on campus. A new LEED Platinum-certified alumni centre, a restored and expanded College of Education and Human Development, and an expanded Energy and Environmental Research Center are among the other development projects on campus. On the north end of campus, a $124 million Medicine and Health Services building was completed in 2016. The campus has amenities such as classrooms, laboratories, dining halls, a wellness centre, sports facilities and space for extracurricular activities. The main campus of the University of North Dakota is located on University Avenue in the heart of Grand Forks. On 550 acres, the complex consists of 240 structures (6.4 million square feet) (2.2 km2). The English Coulee divides the campus, which extends around one and a half miles east to west. The western end is bounded by Interstate 29, the eastern edge by University Park, the Grand Forks railyards are on the south side, and the north side is bounded by US Highway 2, also known as Gateway Drive in Grand Forks. The various courses are accommodated under 8 colleges: College of Business, College of Engineering, College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural resources, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Health Professionals, College of Human Sciences and Education and College of Science and Mathematics. 

Accomplishments and Alumni

The Master of Accountancy program offered at the University of North Dakota is highly ranked by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. It is also ranked among the top 100 supply chain research universities. UND is categorised as "R2: Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity." This level of research activity is reflected in UND's research statistics, which show that programme awards totalled $94.3 million in the fiscal year 2006, sponsored programme expenditures totalled $81.2 million, and an overall research portfolio totalled $315 million in total ongoing and committed accounts. The University of North Dakota's research focuses on health sciences, nutrition, energy and environmental protection, aerospace, and engineering. The Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine, the Center for Rural Health, the Center for Innovation, the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium, the Bureau of Governmental Affairs, the Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research, and the Social Science Research Institute are all part of the Red River Valley Research Corridor.  On the eastern outskirts of the UND campus, the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) has been acknowledged as a leader in studying cleaner, more efficient types of energy. The EERC runs several research facilities at UND, including the National Center for Hydrogen Technology. Many renowned personalities such as Phil Jackson- NBA, Dave Christian - Olympics, Karen L Nyberg - NASA Astronaut, Dave Fennell- Founder of Golden Star Resources and former Canadian Football player, Sam Anderson - Actor are notable alumni of the University of North Dakota. 

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

Every year, about 13,000 students attend classes on the UND campus. About 34% of the student body is from North Dakota, with the remaining 56% coming from other states and 99 countries. Students can choose to reside on or off campus. There are fourteen residence halls and 700 student apartment units on campus, as well as thirteen fraternities and seven sororities. UND has approximately 275 student groups and an intramural sports programme. Students come from all over the world. This makes the campus very diverse. The University has students from a wide range of backgrounds, including race, national origin, religion, beliefs, age, socioeconomic level, gender, sexual orientation, and handicap status. University's vibrant and diverse campus offers several opportunities for students to engage with their peers. Every year the university conducts job fairs for the placements of its students in various companies. Many students get benefits from this job fair and get placed in their deserving places in the job market. Companies that visit for recruitment at the University of North Dakota include Amazon, Microsoft, Deloitte, United Health Group, and more!