First Year Students

Create or log into your application here.

Application Fee

There is a one-time application fee of $35.

Official Transcripts

We require official high school transcripts and official transcripts for any college coursework you completed while in high school or after graduation. Transcripts can be sent from your school in an officially sealed envelope OR through ND E-Transcript, Parchment, or Clearinghouse. You must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Note: You can provide an unofficial transcript for a quicker admission decision. We can make a preliminary admission offer if you meet our admission guidelines. You will need to confirm your academic status by providing an official transcript later.

Required High School Coursework

Your high school transcript should show that you have successfully completed 13 units of high school CORE classes.*

• 4 units of English
• 3 units of Mathematics, Algebra 1, and above
• 3 units of Laboratory Science
• 3 units of Social Studies

*Applicants aged 25 or older on the first day of class or applying to an associate or certificate program are exempt from CORE requirements.

Official Test Scores

For bachelor's programs: The State Board of Higher Education has waived test score requirements through summer 2023. You may still submit ACT or SAT scores for scholarship and placement testing purposes. To send your scores to us, enter the code 3210 for the ACT or 6477 for the SAT.

For associate and certificate programs: ACT or SAT test scores are not required but may be submitted for the purpose of placement in courses. Placement testing is also available before enrollment.

Immunizations and Exemptions

The North Dakota University System requires that new students provide documentation of immunity for certain diseases unless an exemption is accepted. For more details on these requirements or potential exemptions click here.

Additional Program Requirements

If you are pursuing a degree in nursing or teacher education, your major may have additional requirements beyond the general DSU admission standards. Please visit the DSU Catalog or contact Admissions for more information. After you submit your application to DSU, you may be asked to complete a separate application for your degree program.

Home-Schooled Students

If you're a home-schooled student, you'll follow the same admission criteria and process for applying to DSU as stated above. In addition to submitting what is already required, you'll also need to submit a home-school curriculum description or transcript that displays:

• Specific listing of classes completed to satisfy secondary school requirements; identified and/or separated by class levels. We may request a course syllabus or detailed description of course content.
• Clear identification of those courses that meet the NDUS high school core course requirements.
• Key explaining grading system and successful completion of coursework including number of credits earned by course, letter grade, and GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Date of your graduation/completion of plan of study.
• Signature of your parent/instructor.
• Diploma/certificate issued by the local school district in which you live if your district provides such a document. High school equivalency exams may be acceptable in lieu of a high school diploma, providing that such an exam is an authorized high school equivalency test by the state in which the exam was taken.

General Educational Development (GED)

High school equivalency exams may be acceptable in lieu of a high school diploma, providing that such an exam is an authorized high school equivalency from the state in which it was earned.

The GED is the only test of high school equivalency recognized by Dickinson State per the North Dakota University System procedure 402.11. If you completed the GED after 2014, you must provide official documentation of a minimum GED test score equal to or greater than 145.

Come see us on a Discover DSU Day or set up an individual visit. Can't make it to a visit event? Check out our virtual tour. Explore the ways you can visit campus.

Check out DSU’s scholarship opportunities here!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available online.

• Applications are accepted as early as October 1.
• The priority deadline for grants and work study qualification is April 15.
• Dickinson State University’s FAFSA School Code is: 002989.

Dickinson State University’s housing policy requires all first-year and second-year full-time students to live in a residence hall on campus and purchase a meal plan for the full academic year.

To complete your on-campus housing application you must first claim your NDUS Account.

After you've claimed your NDUS account, you can go to Campus Connection to complete the housing application. Follow these instructions to submit the housing application.

You will have to pay a $200 housing prepayment to secure your room.

Once Housing and Dining has finished room assignments, you will get information about your roommate so you can connect before coming to campus.

If you don't want to live on campus, you need to complete the Housing Appeal/Accommodation Request. Approval of these requests are made at the discretion of DSU’s Office of Housing and Dining. Exemptions may include married students, students with dependents, students living within 25 miles of Dickinson, ND, or students age 21+ prior to the start of classes for the semester in which they are enrolling.

After you're accepted to DSU, you are required to attend a New Student Registration event to sign up for classes for the upcoming semester.

Accepted students can register for a New Student Registration event starting on February 1. You can find New Student Registration dates here.

During registration, you can speak with financial aid, residential life, and other important offices around campus. You will also meet with an advisor to choose classes, get your student ID, get your parking pass, eat lunch in our dining hall, and meet other new students!

Book lists for the upcoming semester are typically finalized about two months before classes start. You can order textbooks after you enroll in classes.

To order your textbooks, please visit our University Store website. You can search for your textbooks using your student ID number or by entering class numbers from your class schedule.