Education in North Dakota
North Dakota educates roughly 120,000 public K–12 students across about 170 school districts — many of them small and rural, reflecting the state's wide geography, with enrollment concentrated in a handful of growing cities. Public education is overseen by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the elected Superintendent.
North Dakota's system remains firmly public-school centered. Families can use open enrollment to choose among districts, but the state has no operating charter schools and — after a closely fought 2025 legislative battle — no private-school voucher or ESA program. North Dakota also allows unusually broad immunization exemptions, does not mandate gifted education, and reports school quality on a dashboard rather than letter grades. This guide walks through it all — for the student, the family, the school, and the educator.
Who must attend school
North Dakota requires children ages 7 to 16 to attend school. Attendance can be met through a public school, an approved nonpublic (private) school, or home education.
- Start age7
- End of compulsory age16
- Districts~170, many small and rural
- Satisfying itPublic, approved nonpublic, or home education
Pre-K in North Dakota
North Dakota has historically invested little in state-funded prekindergarten and has been one of the last states without a large public pre-K program. It has added a modest prekindergarten grant program to support some district and community programs, but early learning still runs largely through Head Start (including tribal Head Start), private preschools, and child care rather than a statewide public system.
Because public pre-K is limited, availability and cost vary widely by community — families should look into local Head Start eligibility and private options early. See our Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood toolkits.
Districts & charters
North Dakota's largest districts are in its growing cities — Fargo, Bismarck, West Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot — while much of the state is served by small rural districts. A distinctive feature: North Dakota has no operating charter schools. (A 2025 law created a legal framework that could allow charter schools in the future, but none have been established.)
North Dakota's main choice mechanism is open enrollment (below). Find North Dakota public schools in our schools directory.
Private & independent schools in North Dakota
North Dakota has a small private-school sector, reflecting its small, rural population, with options concentrated in its larger cities:
- Catholic & parochial schoolsDiocese of Fargo and Diocese of Bismarck schools (such as Shanley High School in Fargo and St. Mary's in Bismarck)
- Other religious schoolsLutheran, Christian, and other faith-based schools
- Specialty schoolsMontessori and schools for specific learning needs
North Dakota regulates private schools only lightly (through a state approval process), and accreditation is otherwise voluntary — often through Cognia. Because North Dakota did not enact a private-school-choice program (its 2025 ESA was vetoed), private schools are funded by tuition and their own financial aid. Families should ask about a school's accreditation, curriculum, and outcomes directly.
How choice works in North Dakota
North Dakota's school choice is public, and comparatively limited:
- Open enrollmentFamilies may apply for their child to attend a public school in another district, subject to both districts' policies
- No operating chartersNorth Dakota has no charter schools currently (a 2025 law lays groundwork, but none exist yet)
- No voucher or ESANorth Dakota has no private-school choice program
- HomeschoolingA moderate-regulation option (below)
In 2025, the legislature debated but did not enact private-school choice: the leading Education Savings Account bill (HB 1540) was vetoed by the governor, and the veto was sustained, so no ESA or voucher took effect. See our School Types toolkit for how the available options compare.
Homeschooling in North Dakota
North Dakota takes a moderate-regulation approach to home education, with an annual filing and some testing:
- Statement of IntentFile an annual statement of intent to homeschool with your local superintendent (with immunization records or an exemption)
- Parent qualificationThe parent generally must meet a qualification requirement (such as a high school diploma), which affects the level of monitoring
- Required subjectsCover the required subjects — and in grades 4 and 8, include North Dakota history, geography, and agriculture in social studies
- Annual testingAdminister a standardized test in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10
Beyond those steps, families control the curriculum and set their own graduation approach, and home-schooled students may take some classes at the local public school. See our Homeschooling toolkit, and file your statement of intent with your district and the DPI.
The NDSA & the ACT
North Dakota public schools use the North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) — testing English language arts and mathematics (grades 3–8 and in high school) and science (grades 4, 8, and high school) — and provide the ACT to 11th graders as a college-readiness measure. Many districts also use interim assessments (such as NWEA) during the year.
Home-schooled students take their own required standardized tests (in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10) rather than the NDSA. See the DPI assessment pages for current details.
Earning a North Dakota high school diploma
North Dakota requires a state minimum of 22 units for a high school diploma — including English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, and electives — with local districts setting specific requirements and awarding diplomas. North Dakota does not require a statewide exit exam.
- State minimum22 units
- Local requirementsDistricts set specifics and award diplomas
- No exit examNo single test required to graduate
- CTE & dual creditCareer pathways and college credit available
Special education & gifted
North Dakota serves students with disabilities under the federal IDEA, providing eligible students a free appropriate public education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with full procedural safeguards overseen by the DPI (often delivered through regional special-education units that serve clusters of rural districts).
On gifted education, North Dakota does not mandate gifted and talented programs, so dedicated GT programming is a local district decision (with some state support) and varies. See our Special Education and Gifted & Talented toolkits, and verify with the DPI.
How North Dakota reports school performance
North Dakota does not use A–F letter grades or star ratings. Instead, it publishes school and district data through the North Dakota Insights dashboard and its federal (ESSA) accountability framework — reporting measures such as achievement and growth on the NDSA, graduation rates, English-learner progress, and school climate/engagement.
Because North Dakota emphasizes a data dashboard rather than a single grade, families should read the dashboard alongside a school visit (see our Choosing the Right School toolkit). Explore North Dakota Insights, and find schools in our directory.
Immunizations & school entry
To enroll in a North Dakota school, students must show proof of required immunizations per the schedule set by North Dakota Health and Human Services, or a valid exemption. Requirements follow the state schedule, with additional doses at certain grades.
North Dakota has a comparatively broad exemption policy: it allows medical, religious, and philosophical (personal-belief) exemptions. Confirm current requirements with North Dakota HHS and your school district before enrolling.
State grants & scholarships
North Dakota offers several state programs (state aid is relatively modest): the need-based North Dakota State Grant, the merit-based North Dakota Academic and CTE Scholarships (for graduates who complete a rigorous course of study), and the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship (a matched scholarship-and-loan-repayment program targeting in-demand workforce fields). North Dakota students can also access federal aid and dual-credit savings.
Students apply by filing the FAFSA and meeting each program's requirements by the deadlines. Use our Net Price, SAI Estimator, and Award Letter tools to plan costs, and see programs via the North Dakota University System.
Colleges & universities in North Dakota
North Dakota's public higher education is organized in the North Dakota University System (NDUS) — 11 institutions overseen by the State Board of Higher Education. Its two research universities are the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks (home to a renowned aviation/aerospace program) and the land-grant North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, alongside regional universities (Minot State, Valley City State, Dickinson State, Mayville State) and community and technical colleges (Bismarck State and others). North Dakota is also home to five tribal colleges serving Native communities.
North Dakota also has private institutions (the University of Jamestown among them). Explore North Dakota's colleges and universities in our directory.
Becoming a teacher in North Dakota
North Dakota licenses teachers through the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB), and candidates must pass the required Praxis examinations after completing an approved preparation program. North Dakota issues an educator license that renews over a career, and offers alternative-access and provisional routes to help fill positions in its many rural and small schools.
North Dakota also provides reciprocity for many out-of-state educators. See our Teacher Certification, Praxis, and Job & Interview Tips for Educators toolkits, and the ESPB for specifics.
Where to get the authoritative details
Requirements change — this guide is a well-organized starting point, not the final authority. For the current, official word, go straight to the source:
Also essential: your local school district office (for enrollment and open enrollment), your regional special-education unit, your school counselor, and the K12 Academics toolkits linked throughout this page.