NDUS sees continued upward enrollment trend

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

BISMARCK, N.D. – Spring enrollment across the North Dakota University System (NDUS) again climbed, showing a 1.9 percent increase in headcount from the spring 2025 semester. The headcount for the spring 2026 census stands at 45,726, while the 2025 spring headcount was 44,880. The most current NDUS enrollment reports were produced through census data validated by the system’s 11 institutions.

“Our institutions’ continued enrollment success tells us that students, parents and employers understand the transformative nature of higher education. In North Dakota, we offer a slate of post-secondary credentials, whether it’s bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees or certificates and apprenticeships,” said NDUS Commissioner Brent Sanford. “These credentials are imperative to gaining a foothold into the workforce and thriving in the careers of the future.”

Sanford highlights a recent national report published by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce titled “The Future of Good Jobs.” It says that by 2031, 72 percent of U.S. jobs will require post-secondary education or training, with a 5.25 million, college-educated worker shortage expected by 2032.

Additionally, this spring, the full-time equivalency, or FTE, count systemwide increased by 2.7 percent compared to spring 2025. The total credit hour production also increased by 2.8 percent with 498,020 hours recorded for 2026, up from 484,388 in 2025.

Nearly all of the NDUS’s 11 institutions reported enrollment gains for the spring 2026 semester.

In the fall semester for 2025, NDUS reported its highest enrollment since 2014. With a headcount of 47,552 students, the census was just short of the NDUS record in 2011, which was 48,883.

Further demographic data will be compiled for a 2026 Spring Enrollment Report, which will be available in March.