Private Nonprofit Graduate Excellent 88/100

Turtle Mountain College

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

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Belcourt, North Dakota

About Turtle Mountain College

Thinking about Turtle Mountain College, a college in North Dakota where more students graduate in Liberal Arts 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.

Turtle Mountain College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Belcourt, North Dakota. It enrolls 543 students (a small, tight-knit 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
—
Graduation
23.6%
Net Price
$3,428
Median Earnings (10yr)
$32,079
Enrollment
543
Student : Faculty
12:1

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 Open / Online), 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.

Excellent
88/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 76
Value 93
Affordability 85
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Turtle Mountain College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $3,428 a year on average, it sits well below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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
$3,428
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
58%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
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
$2,794
Room & Board (off-campus)
$6,000
Books & Supplies
$400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$10,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,655

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
    $3,067
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $4,921
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $2,500
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $4,737
  • Over $110,000
    $12,020
What this means: Aid reaches a meaningful share of the student body: 58% of students receive Pell grants. If your family qualifies for Pell, the real cost to you could be substantially lower than the average.

Graduation Rate & Retention

24% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. 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
24%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $32,079 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$32,079
Earning > $25K
55%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$30,500$31,000$32,000$32,500$33,0006 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
$24,800

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

Male graduates
$28,400

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

What this means: Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$9.4 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 543 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 35% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
543
Part-Time
19%
First-Generation
35%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Other 97.1% 527
White 2.2% 12
Black 0.6% 3
Hispanic 0.2% 1
Other: 97.1% (527 students)White: 2.2% (12 students)Black: 0.6% (3 students)Hispanic: 0.2% (1 students)Total543

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Turtle Mountain College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Remote Belcourt, North Dakota
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
41% 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 Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Turtle Mountain College offers a varied set of programs: 18 distinct programs across 10 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.

1 Program
4 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program
  • Human $49K ($35K–$63K)

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$64M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$68,179
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

37 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors 37 100% $68,179

Pros & Cons of Turtle Mountain College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Turtle Mountain College 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Strong first-year retention
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Below-average post-graduation earnings
Best for: Based on the data, Turtle Mountain College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Turtle Mountain College

The questions families ask most about Turtle Mountain College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Turtle Mountain College cost?
Budget around $3,428 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 Turtle Mountain College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $32,079 a year against a net price of $3,428, about 9.4 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 Turtle Mountain College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Health Administration, Teacher Education (K-12). 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 Turtle Mountain College graduates earn?
About $32,079 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 Turtle Mountain College accredited?
Yes. Turtle Mountain College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Turtle Mountain College?
543 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Turtle Mountain College?
24% 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 Turtle Mountain College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Turtle Mountain College located?
Turtle Mountain College is located in Belcourt, North Dakota.
What programs does Turtle Mountain College offer?
18 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Health Administration, Teacher Education (K-12). 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 Turtle Mountain College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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