Fargo Moorhead is the "Center of the Brain Belt!" 

With institutions of higher education ranging from colleges and universities to technical schools and skills based training centers, the community attracts more than 24,000 students each year.

Fargo Moorhead is home to the Tri-College University (TCU)consortium, a unique partnership between North Dakota State University (NDSU), Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) and Concordia College.  Students enrolled at any of the TCU institutions can take classes at the other two and apply the credits to the home institution, at no extra charge.   

Three different, complementary missions

NDSU, a research institution that offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate level degrees, is also home to the metro area's only Research & Technology Park.  NDSU is a regional innovator in information systems, technology transfer, economic development and life-long learning.  The university's researchers are leading major initiatives in such areas as nanotechnology, food safety, microelectronics, polymers and materials science.

MSUM is a major partner in achieving regional and statewide economic development priorities.  It is a comprehensive regional university with four colleges that offer programs in life sciences, physical sciences, technology, education, communication, business, nursing, social work and criminal justice.  The new $30 million Science Center houses biology and chemistry research labs, a radiology lab, animal quarters, aquarium and greenhouses. 

Concordia College, a four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is particularly well-known for its high quality programs in science and languages.  Concordia ranks in the top 15 percent of schools in the nation for the number of graduates who go on to earn doctorate degrees, and the acceptance rates of Concordia graduates into medical school and law school exceed 85 percent and 90 percent, respectively.