NDNorth Dakota rankings

Towns with the highest high school graduation rates in North Dakota

Ranked by the four-year high school graduation rate of each town's public school district, class of 2020. Towns that share a regional district share its rate and its rank (T = tied). The North Dakota rate is 86.6%. 19 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-yearClass of 2020

#TownGraduation rateClass sizePopulation
1 Valley City Valley CityValley City Public School District 2 92% 90 6,541
T2 West Fargo West FargoWest Fargo Public School District 6 91% 669 40,094
T2 Horace HoraceWest Fargo Public School District 6 91% 669 4,588
T4 Bismarck BismarckBismarck Public School District 1 90% 937 75,556
T4 Lincoln LincolnBismarck Public School District 1 90% 937 4,381
T4 Hay CreekBurleigh County · Bismarck Public School District 1 90% 937 4,348
T4 Apple CreekBurleigh County · Bismarck Public School District 1 90% 937 3,490
T4 GibbsBurleigh County · Bismarck Public School District 1 90% 937 2,836
T9 Fargo FargoFargo Public School District 1 87% 809 131,627
T9 Grand Forks Grand ForksGrand Forks Public School District 1 87% 500 59,042
T9 Jamestown JamestownJamestown Public School District 1 87% 176 15,787
T9 Devils Lake Devils LakeDevils Lake Public School District 1 87% 122 7,308
T9 Map of Watford City Watford CityMcKenzie County Public School District 1 87% 89 6,039
14 Dickinson DickinsonDickinson Public School District 1 85% 248 25,357
T15 MinotMinot Public School District 1 83% 495 47,791
T15 Minot AFB Minot AFBMinot Public School District 1 83% 495 4,878
T17 Mandan MandanMandan Public School District 1 82% 250 24,522
T17 Wahpeton WahpetonWahpeton Public School District 37 82% 88 8,010
19 New Town New TownNew Town Public School District 1 77% 62 2,721

How this ranking works

Each town gets the four-year graduation rate of the public school district that runs its high school for the class of 2020: the share of students who started ninth grade together and earned a regular diploma within four years, counting students who transferred in and out. Every state computes it the same federal way. Where a regional district serves several towns, they all share its rate and its rank.

We leave out a town split between high school districts, a district whose class had fewer than 20 students, and one the Department of Education reports only as a wide range (such as 50–100%). Those numbers are too uncertain to rank. The Department also publishes most rates in bands rather than exact figures (a rate between 95% and 99% is shown as 97%), which is why many towns tie. Graduation data: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Each district's page shows its rate against the state.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states