Public Graduate Good 68/100

Bemidji State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

Compare This College

Bemidji, Minnesota

About Bemidji State University

Thinking about Bemidji State University, a college in Minnesota where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Bemidji State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Bemidji, Minnesota. It enrolls 3,139 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
56%
Graduation
44.1%
Net Price
$15,261
Median Earnings (10yr)
$53,755
Enrollment
3,139
Student : Faculty
16:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 37
Value 75
Affordability 56
Selectivity 54

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Bemidji State University admits 56% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
56%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 24
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Bemidji State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 5.8 pts since 2019
64.9%201969.4%202075%202177.5%202270.7%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $15,261 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$15,261
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
42%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$10,237
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,462
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,462
Books & Supplies
$890
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,200
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$22,744

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $10,073
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,207
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $12,201
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,857
  • Over $110,000
    $19,940

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,774
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$19,750
Median percentile
$23,336
75% percentile
$30,487
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $14,000 ↓ $5,750
No Pell $13,000 ↓ $6,750
Dependent students $13,300 ↓ $6,450
Independent students $14,499 ↓ $5,251
Female students $13,018 ↓ $6,732
Male students $14,050 ↓ $5,700
Pell recipients: 17.1% (3,377 students)No Pell: 15.9% (3,136 students)Dependent students: 16.2% (3,209 students)Independent students: 17.7% (3,498 students)Female students: 15.9% (3,141 students)Male students: 17.2% (3,389 students)Overall Median$19,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,628, less than completers ($19,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

44% of students who start here finish within six years, and 75% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $53,755 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$53,755
Earning > $25K
82%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$47,000$49,000$51,000$53,000$55,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$36,900

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$52,000

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$39,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$42,400

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$48,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $15,100, about 29% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 11.8 pts across 6 years
74.5%1yr80.7%3yr79.9%5yr86.2%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 86% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,139 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
3,139
Part-Time
27%
First-Generation
27%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 77.3% 2,426
Other 11.1% 347
Hispanic 4.4% 139
Black 3.5% 109
Asian 1.7% 54
International 1.6% 51
White: 77.3% (2,426 students)Other: 11.1% (347 students)Hispanic: 4.4% (139 students)Black: 3.5% (109 students)Asian: 1.7% (54 students)International: 1.6% (51 students)Total3,139

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Bemidji State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Bemidji, Minnesota
Housing
Partly residential 935 beds available
Adult Learners
28% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Bemidji State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 49 distinct programs across 22 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
4 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,994
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$33M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$87,609
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

153 instructional faculty across 3 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 48 31% $102,446
Associate Professors 56 37% $85,029
Assistant Professors 49 32% $76,023

Pros & Cons of Bemidji State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Bemidji State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention

Frequently Asked Questions about Bemidji State University

The questions families ask most about Bemidji State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Bemidji State University hard to get into?
Admissions at Bemidji State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 56%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Bemidji State University?
56% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Bemidji State University?
Aim for 24 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 24 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Bemidji State University cost?
Budget around $15,261 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bemidji State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $53,755 a year against a net price of $15,261, about 3.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Bemidji State University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Psychology, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Bemidji State University graduates earn?
About $53,755 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bemidji State University accredited?
Yes. Bemidji State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Bemidji State University?
3,139 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Bemidji State University?
44% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Bemidji State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Bemidji State University located?
Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota.
What programs does Bemidji State University offer?
49 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Psychology, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Bemidji State University?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.