Is North Dakota State University a Catholic college?

No. North Dakota State University is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by St. Paul's Newman Center (bisonCatholic).

Where is Mass celebrated at North Dakota State University?

Mass is listed at St. Paul's Newman Center chapel. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.

Is North Dakota State University Compass Recommended?

Yes. North Dakota State University meets the Compass Recommended standard for Catholic life on campus.

College · Catholic life on campus

North Dakota State University

LocationFargo, ND
Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 11,952 students

Official website Campus Ministry Honor Roll badge

Catholic Life Score

Catholic life 75%Academics 25%

ACatholic life
96 of 100

CAcademics
64 of 100

Verified Oct. 12, 2026 · How the score works

Campus Ministry Honor RollCompass Recommended

North Dakota State University is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

St. Paul's Newman Center (bisonCatholic) serves the North Dakota State University campus in Fargo from its chapel at 1141 University Drive North. Its published schedule includes Mass on weekdays and on Saturday and Sunday, and confession on weekday afternoons and Saturday. Its listed Catholic student groups include FOCUS and a Knights of Columbus council, with retreats and an OCIA process also offered.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 6

Monday–Wednesday5:15 PMSt. Paul's Newman Center chapel
Thursday9:00 PMSt. Paul's Newman Center chapel · During the school year.
Friday12:10 PMSt. Paul's Newman Center chapel
Saturday5:00 PMSt. Paul's Newman Center chapel · Saturday vigil.
Sunday9:30 AMSt. Paul's Newman Center chapel
Sunday5:00 PMSt. Paul's Newman Center chapel · May vary depending on the NDSU academic schedule.

Confession 2

Monday–Wednesday4:15 PMConfessional inside the chapel · Until 5:10 PM; also available by appointment.
Saturday4:00 PMConfessional inside the chapel · Until 4:45 PM; also available by appointment.

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)

Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
“Daily Mass Schedule MonWed 5:15 PM”
The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 5:15 PM on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Thursday: 9:00 PM”
The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 9:00 PM on Thursday.
“Friday: 12:10 PM”
The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 12:10 PM on Friday.
“Saturday: 5:00 PM”
The ministry lists a Saturday vigil Mass at 5:00 PM.
“Sunday: 9:30 AM”
The ministry lists a Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM.
“Mass may vary depending on the NDSU academic schedule”
The ministry lists a further Sunday Mass at 5:00 PM, subject to the academic schedule.
“MonWed 4:15 PM to 5:10 PM Confessional right inside the chapel”
The ministry lists confession Monday through Wednesday, 4:15 to 5:10 PM.
“Saturday 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM Confessional right inside the chapel”
The ministry lists confession on Saturday, 4:00 to 4:45 PM.

Catholic churches nearby

CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›

St. Paul's — 0.3 mi
Holy Spirit Catholic Church — 0.6 mi
Saint Mary's Cathedral — 0.9 mi · 604 Broadway, Fargo
St Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church — 1.5 mi
Saint Anthony of Padua Church — 1.8 mi
St Joseph Roman Catholic Church — 2.3 mi

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

Catholic life on campus

96 of 100 points on what we could document.

Yes:
Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes
Sources (2)
1. Parish Finder | Diocese of Fargofargodiocese.org/parishfinder · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “St. Paul's Newman Center”
  The Diocese of Fargo lists St. Paul's Newman Center, Fargo, as a parish-level ministry with Mass and confession times.
2. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Serving the NDSU campus since 1928”
  The ministry states that it serves the NDSU campus and has done so since 1928.
Yes:
Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (The center has its own chapel and states that it serves the NDSU campus. Exact distance is computed from the address.)
Sources (2)
1. bisonCatholic Nights | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/bc-nights · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Newman Center Chapel”
  The ministry's chapel is the Newman Center Chapel.
2. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Serving the NDSU campus since 1928”
  The ministry states that it serves the NDSU campus and has done so since 1928.
Yes:
Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryFull-time priest chaplain (The named priest is the Pastor of the ministry itself, with no other assignment listed.)
Sources (2)
1. Newman Staff | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/staff · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center | 701-793-5645 | frcheney@bisoncatholic.org”
  Fr. James Cheney is listed as Pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center.
2. About the Newman Center | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/about · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Fr. James Cheney is the fourteenth in a line of Newman Center directors”
  The ministry's history page names Fr. James Cheney as the current Newman Center director.
Yes:
Weekday Mass at the campus ministryEvery weekday (5 or more weekdays) (Weekday Mass Monday through Friday at the center: Mon-Wed 5:15 PM, Thu 9:00 PM, Fri 12:10 PM.)
Sources (1)
1. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Daily Mass Schedule MonWed 5:15 PM”
  The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 5:15 PM on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
  “Thursday: 9:00 PM”
  The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 9:00 PM on Thursday.
  “Friday: 12:10 PM”
  The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 12:10 PM on Friday.
Yes:
Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelTwo or more weekend Masses (Saturday vigil at 5:00 PM and Sunday Masses at 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM.)
Sources (1)
1. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Saturday: 5:00 PM”
  The ministry lists a Saturday vigil Mass at 5:00 PM.
  “Sunday: 9:30 AM”
  The ministry lists a Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM.
  “Mass may vary depending on the NDSU academic schedule”
  The ministry lists a further Sunday Mass at 5:00 PM, subject to the academic schedule.
Yes:
Scheduled confession at the campus ministryWeekly or more often (Scheduled confession Monday through Wednesday and on Saturday.)
Sources (1)
1. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “MonWed 4:15 PM to 5:10 PM Confessional right inside the chapel”
  The ministry lists confession Monday through Wednesday, 4:15 to 5:10 PM.
  “Saturday 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM Confessional right inside the chapel”
  The ministry lists confession on Saturday, 4:00 to 4:45 PM.
Yes:
Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Two or more (FOCUS, a Knights of Columbus council, and Bible studies.)
Sources (4)
1. North Dakota State University - FOCUSfocus.org/campus/north-dakota-state-university · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “North Dakota State University”
  FOCUS lists North Dakota State University (Fargo) among the campuses it serves.
2. FOCUS | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/focus · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Fellowship Of Catholic University Students”
  The ministry's page describes its FOCUS group, with missionaries listed.
3. Knights of Columbus | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/knights-of-columbus · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “The Newman Knights began in November of 1985.”
  The ministry lists a Knights of Columbus council for its students and members.
4. Student Life | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/student-life · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Get involved with an on campus bible study!”
  The ministry invites students to join an on-campus Bible study.
Yes:
Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Two or more kinds (Retreats (Koinonia, TEC) and an OCIA process: two kinds of formation program.)
Sources (3)
1. Koinonia | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/koinonia · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “The Koinonia retreat weekend is an experience for college students”
  The ministry runs the Koinonia retreat weekend for college students once each semester.
2. TEC | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/tec-retreat · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “TEC is a three-day retreat weekend”
  The ministry offers the TEC three-day retreat weekend.
3. Becoming Catholic | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/becoming-catholic · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is a process”
  The ministry offers an OCIA process for adults becoming Catholic.
Yes:
Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
Partly:
Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration12 to 19 times a week (12 weekly times documented: 8 Mass, 4 confession, 0 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

Mass is offered on weekdays Monday through Friday at the ministry's chapel, with Saturday and two Sunday Masses.
Sources (1)
1. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Daily Mass Schedule MonWed 5:15 PM”
  The ministry lists a weekday Mass at 5:15 PM on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
  “Sunday: 9:30 AM”
  The ministry lists a Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM.
A named pastor, Fr. James Cheney, leads the ministry, and staff contact details are published.
Sources (1)
1. Newman Staff | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/staff · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center | 701-793-5645 | frcheney@bisoncatholic.org”
  Fr. James Cheney is listed as Pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center.
Scheduled confession is offered several times a week, and students can also arrange it by appointment.
Sources (1)
1. Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “MonWed 4:15 PM to 5:10 PM Confessional right inside the chapel”
  The ministry lists confession Monday through Wednesday, 4:15 to 5:10 PM.
  “Saturday 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM Confessional right inside the chapel”
  The ministry lists confession on Saturday, 4:00 to 4:45 PM.

Concerns

The ministry states that adoration for Fall 2026 has not yet begun.
Sources (1)
1. Adoration | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/adoration · verified Oct. 12, 2026
  “Adoration for Fall 2026 has not yet begun.”
  The ministry states that adoration for Fall 2026 has not yet begun.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

St. Paul's Newman Center (bisonCatholic)

Address: 1141 University Dr. N, Fargo, ND 58102
Distance from campus: 0.3 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)
Facilities: chapel

View on map ↗

Source: bisoncatholic.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, bisoncatholic.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, bisoncatholic.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

10 groups and regular activities · 3 on campus, 3 off campus, 4 location not published

Other 1

SEEK27 Catholic conferenceOff campus
January 1-5, 2027
Five-day Catholic conference promoted by the ministry; the 2027 event is listed for San Antonio, TX.
bisoncatholic.org, bisoncatholic.org

Retreats 3

Koinonia retreat weekendOff campus
November 13-15, 2026
College retreat held once each semester; the fall 2026 retreat is at Saint Mary's in Breckenridge, MN.
bisoncatholic.org, bisoncatholic.org
TEC three-day retreat weekendOff campus
Three-day retreat weekend at a center just outside Little Falls, Minnesota; open to ages 16 and up.
bisoncatholic.org, bisoncatholic.org
Rachel's Vineyard retreat
November 20-22, 2026
Weekend retreat for people who have experienced the effects of a past abortion, listed by the ministry.
bisoncatholic.org

Faith formation 2

Bible studiesOn campus
On-campus Bible studies for students.
bisoncatholic.org
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Process for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church.
bisoncatholic.org

Liturgy and prayer 1

bisonCatholic NightOn campus
Thursdays 7:30 PM during the school year
Weekly evening with adoration, praise and worship, confession and Mass in the Newman Center Chapel.
bisoncatholic.org, bisoncatholic.org

Service 1

Newman CounselingOn campus
Thursdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Catholic-perspective counseling offered on site at the Newman Center, in partnership with Redeeming Grace Counseling.
bisoncatholic.org

Clubs and groups 2

FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)
Catholic student outreach with missionaries serving the campus; the ministry lists team contacts.
bisoncatholic.org, focus.org
Newman Knights of Columbus council
Knights of Columbus council that contributes to the life of the Newman Center.
bisoncatholic.org

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

St. Paul's Newman Center (bisonCatholic)

Sources (3)

Mass Times | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/mass-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
“Serving the NDSU campus since 1928”
The ministry states that it serves the NDSU campus and has done so since 1928.
“1141 University Dr. N Fargo, ND 58102”
The ministry publishes its address as 1141 University Dr. N, Fargo, ND 58102.
“Serving the NDSU campus since 1928”
The ministry states that it serves the NDSU campus and has done so since 1928.
Parish Finder | Diocese of Fargofargodiocese.org/parishfinder · verified Oct. 12, 2026
“St. Paul's Newman Center”
The Diocese of Fargo lists St. Paul's Newman Center, Fargo, as a parish-level ministry with Mass and confession times.
bisonCatholic Nights | St. Paul's Newman Centerbisoncatholic.org/bc-nights · verified Oct. 12, 2026
“Newman Center Chapel”
The ministry's chapel is the Newman Center Chapel.

Reach out

Contact details for Fr. James Cheney (Pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center) and 5 official social and news channels are available to signed-in users.

We keep campus ministers’ emails behind sign-in to protect them from spam.

My rating and notes

Academic Excellence

64 of 100

From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

Graduation rate 35% of score64%
First-year retention 20% of score78%
Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreSAT 1,150 · ACT 22
Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of score19 to 1
Instructional spending per student 15% of score$11,618

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS)	9,791
Total students	11,952
Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid	$15,543
Cost of attendance (per year)	$23,716
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,199
Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time	64%
First-year retention	78%
Median earnings 10 years after entry	$62,203
Admission rate	95%
Students receiving Pell grants	20%

Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT	1150
SAT reading & writing	—
SAT math	—
ACT composite	19–25
Test policy	Considered but not required

Value index: 67 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of Fargo

The Most Reverend John T. Folda, Bishop of Fargo

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

IPEDS unit ID 200332
Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
Report an error or a newer source

Questions families ask

Is North Dakota State University a Catholic college?: No. North Dakota State University is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by St. Paul's Newman Center (bisonCatholic).
What is North Dakota State University’s Catholic Life Score?: 88 out of 100 (grade A). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at North Dakota State University?: Mass is listed at St. Paul's Newman Center chapel. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.
Is North Dakota State University Compass Recommended?: Yes. North Dakota State University meets the Compass Recommended standard for Catholic life on campus.

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

More in North Dakota · North Dakota rankings