Undergraduate students transferring from U.S. colleges or universities should have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, except for applicants to selective programs, such as engineering, which require higher minimum grade point averages. In order to receive credit for prior university study either in the U.S. or outside the U.S., applicants must be accepted for admission and submit adequate documentation of their course work at those universities. This documentation must include official transcripts as well as course descriptions with official English translations (if appropriate). Applicants should send ahead or bring with them college catalogs, course syllabi, and other course descriptions. Due to the lengthy process of evaluating transfer credits on a course by course basis, the results of the evaluation may not be available prior to a student's arrival and registration at the university.

Course work taken at an institution outside the U.S. which is recognized by that country's Minister of Education and in the U.S. at regionally accredited institutions is normally accepted for transfer to North Dakota State University provided that the grades are passing and the courses are comparable to those offered at North Dakota State University. Transfer credit is not awarded for coursework that is vocational or technical. Even if transfer credit is awarded for course work, it may not be applicable to a particular degree program or academic major at the university.