Mayville State University

Public · ND

Photo: Willjay (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationND · Midwest

SettingRural

Undergrads733

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate23.3%

6-yr grad rate40.6%

Drop-out rate19.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$8k

Out-of-state tuition$11k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity30.3%

Gender diversity57%

International2.3%

Identity—

Overview

Mayville State University is a small public university on North Dakota's eastern prairie, originally established as a normal school, and teacher preparation remains a defining strength even as the curriculum has broadened. Business and nursing programs have grown alongside education, but the university's identity is still rooted in training teachers for the region's schools.

Academics

Class sizes stay very small, and education students get early, sustained classroom placement experience in nearby districts — a legacy of the normal-school model. Nursing and business programs share the same close-contact, practically oriented instructional style.

Campus & student life

The rural eastern North Dakota setting is quiet, and campus life is close-knit by necessity as much as design — most students know each other, and athletics, which compete in the NAIA, are a significant part of the social calendar.

Worth knowing

Mayville State is one of the smallest institutions in North Dakota's public university system, which means fewer major options than at the flagship campuses but a notably lower-cost, more personal alternative for students committed to teaching, nursing, or business in the region.

mayvillestate.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%1080

Test policynot reported

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying