North Dakota is a state located in the north-central United States and is bordered by Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south, Montana to the west, and Canada to the north. North Dakota has a population of approximately 750,000 people and is divided into 53 counties. Each county has its own governing body responsible for local government services such as law enforcement public health services and public works departments.
The state of North Dakota has 54 school districts which serve over 97,000 students in grades K-12 across more than 500 schools. These school districts are organized along county lines with each district providing educational services for students within their boundaries. The largest school district in North Dakota is Fargo Public Schools which serves over 16,000 students while the smallest district covers only 1 school with fewer than 50 students enrolled. Each district is governed by an elected board of education responsible for setting policies on curriculum standards and budgeting for educational services.
In addition to public schools there are also several charter schools which allow parents to choose an alternative form of education for their children outside the traditional public school system. These charter schools must follow certain regulations set forth by the state but otherwise operate independently from local school districts with their own board of directors overseeing operations. Finally there are several private schools throughout North Dakota that provide K-12 education outside of the public system although they may be subject to certain regulations set forth by state or local governments.
There are many public and private high schools in the state of North Dakota. It is rather difficult for you to choose one that fits you most. In order for you to better evaluate your choice, we have ranked these high schools based on latest SAT/ACT scores, graduation rates, and state test scores from the North Dakota Department of Education. See below for top 13 high schools throughout the state of North Dakota.
| # | High Schools | Honor |
| 1 |
Dunseith High School
Dunseith 1 School District Rolette County 301 3rd Ave SW Dunseith, ND 58329 Telephone: (701) 244-5249 |
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| 2 |
Garrison High School
Garrison 51 School District McLean County 51 5th Ave NE Garrison, ND 58540 Telephone: (701) 463-2818 |
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| 3 |
Glenburn High School
Glenburn 26 School District Renville County 102 Raymond St Glenburn, ND 58740 Telephone: (701) 362-7426 |
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| 4 |
Hankinson High School
Hankinson 8 School District Richland County 415 1st Ave SE Hankinson, ND 58041 Telephone: (701) 242-7516 |
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| 5 |
Hazen High School
Hazen 3 School District Mercer County 520 1st Ave NE Hazen, ND 58545 Telephone: (701) 748-2345 |
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| 6 |
Lamoure High School
Lamoure 8 School District LaMoure County 105 6th Ave SE Lamoure, ND 58458 Telephone: (701) 883-5397 |
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| 7 |
MLS-Mohall High School
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 1 School District Renville County 101 3rd St NW Mohall, ND 58761 Telephone: (701) 756-6660 |
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| 8 |
New Rockford-Sheyenne High School
New Rockford-Sheyenne 2 School District Eddy County 437 1st Ave N New Rockford, ND 58356 Telephone: (701) 947-5036 |
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| 9 |
Park River High School
Park River 78 School District Walsh County 605 6th St W Park River, ND 58270 Telephone: (701) 284-7164 |
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| 10 |
Richardton-Taylor High School
Richardton-Taylor 34 School District Stark County 320 Raider Rd Richardton, ND 58652 Telephone: (701) 974-2111 |
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| 11 |
Rugby High School
Rugby 5 School District Pierce County 1123 S Main Ave Rugby, ND 58368 Telephone: (701) 776-5201 |
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| 12 |
Surrey High School
Surrey 41 School District Ward County 200 2nd St SE Surrey, ND 58785 Telephone: (701) 838-3282 |
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| 13 |
Walhalla High School
North Border 100 School District Pembina County 605 10th St Walhalla, ND 58282 Telephone: (701) 549-3751 |
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North Dakota Overview
The state of North Dakota is located in the Midwestern United States and belongs to the Northwest Central States. North Dakota borders Canada (with the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan) to the north, and the states of Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south, and Montana to the west.
North Dakota is located in the US Interior Plains. The eastern districts of the state are practically flat lowlands, gradually rising to the west into glacially flattened and prairie-covered hilly plains. In the south-west, the so-called “badlands” (badlands) are located – vast hilly and ravine-cut territories with numerous rocky outcrops.
North Dakota has a continental climate with distinct seasons (long, cold winters and warm summers), arid in the west, and slightly more rainy in the east.
The state of North Dakota got its name in honor of the Dakota Indians (one of the Sioux peoples) who lived on these lands.
The first European explorer to visit North Dakota was in 1738 Pierre Gauthier de Warenne la Lawerendry, whose expedition came from the then French colony of Canada to explore the possibility of trade with local Indians. In the 1890s, the upper reaches of the Missouri River (formally part of Spanish Louisiana at that time) were explored by John Evans.
After the Louisiana Purchase by the United States, the famous expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed through North Dakota. They spent the winter of 1804-1805 here, building the first European legacy in North Dakota, Fort Mandan.
Over the following decades, Europeans appeared in this remote region only sporadically, they were mainly merchants who bought furs from the Indians. The lands of North Dakota were at various times part of Michigan Territory, WisconsinTerritory , Iowa Territory, and Minnesota Territory and Nebraska Territory. In 1861, the Dakota Territory was created by the U.S. Congress to include the modern states of North Dakota and South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming.
Large-scale development of North Dakota began in the seventies of the XIX century, when a railroad route was laid through the lands of the state. A stream of settlers poured into the previously empty fertile lands, cities appeared and quickly grew along the steel highway. On November 2, 1889, North Dakota became (at the same time as South Dakota) the thirty-ninth U.S. state.
Now, about 125,000 people live in the state’s largest city, Fargo (and about 250,000 people in the urban agglomeration that has grown around it). The capital of North Dakota, the city of Bismarck, has about 75,000 residents.
The economy of North Dakota is based on agriculture, mining (primarily oil), and, to a much lesser extent, other industries. Fertile lands and temperate North Dakota are well suited for growing cereals (wheat, barley, buckwheat, oats, corn) and oilseeds (rapeseed, sunflower) crops. Livestock farms breed cattle (both for meat and milk) and pigs. North Dakota is one of the largest honey producers in the US. Opening of the northwestern state (as well as Montana and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan) of the largest deposit of “shale” oil and the development of technologies for its extraction led to a real “oil boom” in North Dakota. The most important industrial sector of the state is the processing of agricultural products.