University of North Dakota vs University of South Dakota
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- North Dakota places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 5.5% of the Class of 2025, against 3.7% at South Dakota.
- =About the same cost. Three years come to roughly $159K at North Dakota and $156K at South Dakota after the average scholarship.
- South Dakota is harder to get into: a 152 median LSAT and a 62.6% acceptance rate, against 151 and 63.1% at North Dakota.
- North Dakota has the higher first time bar pass rate: 72.3% against 69.2%.
North Dakota
vs
South Dakota
Where graduates go
North Dakota leads 3 of 5
✓5.5%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
3.7%
0.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
0.0%
✓5.5%
Federal clerkships
3.7%
83.6%
Graduates employed
✓89.0%
✓72.3%
First time bar passage
69.2%
What it costs
South Dakota leads 4 of 4
$159K
Three year net cost
✓$156K
52%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓55%
$3,875/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$5,000/yr
$3,149/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$3,171/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: North Dakota 63.1% · South Dakota 62.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
North Dakota
148151155
South Dakota
149152156
146148150152154156158
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
North Dakota
3.243.483.75
South Dakota
3.163.473.81
3.103.203.303.403.503.603.703.803.90
University of North Dakota
University of South Dakota
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Frequently asked questions
Is North Dakota or South Dakota better for BigLaw?
North Dakota placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 5.5% against 3.7%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), North Dakota placed 0.0% and South Dakota placed 0.0%. Federal clerkships were 5.5% at North Dakota and 3.7% at South Dakota.
Which is harder to get into, North Dakota or South Dakota?
North Dakota's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 151 and a median GPA of 3.48, with a 63.1% acceptance rate. South Dakota's had 152 and 3.47, with 62.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, North Dakota or South Dakota?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $159K at North Dakota and $156K at South Dakota, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, North Dakota or South Dakota?
52% of North Dakota students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $3,875 a year among recipients. 55% of South Dakota students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $5,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
72.3% of North Dakota's first time takers passed in 2025, against 69.2% at South Dakota. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose North Dakota or South Dakota?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology