Study in Moorhead, The United States

About Moorhead

Moorhead is a city in western Minnesota on the Red River, directly across from Fargo, North Dakota. Together the two cities form the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area, which Minnesota State University Moorhead describes as a "big-little city": a college town atmosphere with three major colleges within a two-mile radius. Concordia College counts some 30,000 college students in the area.

For international students, Moorhead offers small classes, affordable housing and free buses for students, in a region with very cold winters. Minneapolis-St. Paul is about four hours away by road, and Winnipeg in Canada about three and a half.

Studying in Moorhead

Our directory lists two higher education institutions and one language programme linked to Moorhead. Concordia College was founded in 1891 by Norwegian settlers and is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is a private liberal arts college with more than 2,000 students from 36 states and 52 countries and more than 140 areas of study, including 12 pre-professional programmes. The U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator gives a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1. Concordia states that all its international students receive scholarship support.

Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves about 5,547 students, with 73 undergraduate majors, 19 graduate degrees and a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Concordia Language Villages is a programme of Concordia College that began in 1961 as a two-week German course for 72 children. Its eight sites are not in Moorhead but in the North Woods near Bemidji, in northern Minnesota. Besides summer camps for young people, it runs weekend, week-long and virtual programmes for adults aged 18 and over, and courses for high school, dual and college credit.

Teaching is in English. International degree students need an F student visa: once admitted, they receive a Form I-20 from the college and apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate. According to EducationUSA, the academic year usually runs from September to May, and international students may work on campus for up to 20 hours a week in their first year.

Cost of living for students

Both institutions publish their costs:

• MSUM, 2026-27, international undergraduates: $9,944 in tuition, $11,872 for housing and meals, $2,956 for health insurance and $1,736 in fees
• Concordia College, 2026-27: $45,660 in billed costs (tuition $32,900, a standard double room $5,100, the full meal plan $6,780 and fees $880), or $50,460 including personal costs, transport and books, before scholarships

Local buses are run by MATBUS across Fargo and Moorhead. Under the U-Pass programme, Concordia, MSUM, M State and North Dakota State University students ride free with their college ID. For others, an adult fare is $2.00, with a 31-day fare cap of $42.00.

Getting around and daily life

MATBUS routes link the campuses with downtown Moorhead and downtown Fargo, and Concordia lends bikes to students free of charge through its COBBike programme. Concordia describes the metro area as having a small-town feel with big-city culture.

Winters are long and very cold. At Fargo's Hector International Airport, the nearest station with official normals, the 1991-2020 data of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information give an average temperature of 9.2 °F (about −13 °C) in January and 70.7 °F (about 22 °C) in July, when average daily highs reach 82.1 °F (about 28 °C).

Frequently asked questions

Which universities are in Moorhead?

Our directory lists Concordia College, a private Lutheran liberal arts college founded in 1891, and Minnesota State University Moorhead, a public university with about 5,500 students.

Are Concordia Language Villages in Moorhead?

No. They are a programme of Concordia College in Moorhead, but the eight village sites are near Bemidji in northern Minnesota.

How much does a year at MSUM cost for an international student?

For 2026-27, MSUM lists $9,944 in tuition, $11,872 for housing and meals, $2,956 for health insurance and $1,736 in fees for international undergraduates.

Do students pay for the bus?

No. Students of Concordia, MSUM, M State and NDSU ride MATBUS free with their college ID.