Bismarck State College

Yes, BSC is a traditional institution offering hybrid and fully online degree programs. With almost 20 online degrees at the associate’s and bachelor’s levels, prospective students have a plethora of disciplines to choose from at this online college. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), 39% of undergraduates are solely enrolled in distance education courses at BSC.  

BSC is considered a good school because it has received recognition for its online programs. BSC ranks #2 in Best Online Community Colleges and #5 in Best Online Associate Degrees in 2023. In addition, BSC’s highest salary scores are in fields of study like electrical and power transmission installers, business/commerce, electrical and power installers, and business administration, management and operations. 

To determine a school’s legitimacy, students can look for its accreditation status. When a school receives accreditation, it means they meet the national standards to award degrees at the undergraduate or graduate level. BSC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

At OnlineU, we only list accredited online colleges and universities on our site. 

BSC is known for its dedication to workforce training and being a polytechnic college:

Workforce Development

BSC’s vision statement is to be “a national model for innovative education and workforce training.” The college has over 100 career pathways students can pursue from their many online and traditional degree programs. Also, BSC has many Career & Technical programs students can enroll in to work toward their career goals or transfer to a four-year program. 

At BSC, three online fields of study provide the highest median earnings for graduates, according to federal data from College Scorecard. These fields of study include a bachelor's degree in business administration, management, and operations at $113,200.The second is at the associate level for a degree in electromechanical instrumentation and maintenance technologies/technicians, which makes a median annual salary of around $79,800. Within these disciplines, prospective students can pursue online degrees like Associate of Applied Science in Instrumentation & Control.

An alternative method for gauging a degree's worth is by examining OnlineU’s proprietary Salary Score, which ranks colleges by how much their alums earn compared to graduates with the same degree across the country. BSC’s salary score is 100/100 for bachelor’s degrees. 

According to data from College Scorecard, BSC accepts 100% of applicants. BSC has an open admission policy, which means that every student who applies to BSC’s online programs is admitted. 

To be admitted into one of its online degree programs, applicants must complete BSC's online admission process and submit the following:

• An online application 
• A $35 nonrefundable fee
• Official high school, GED, college/university, military, and/or international transcripts
• Placement scores or courses to register for math and English courses