 Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883 , six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota , UND is the oldest and largest university in the state . UND was founded as a university with a strong liberal arts foundation and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as high research activity institution . UND is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report . UND offers a variety of professional and specialized programs , including the only schools of law and medicine in the state , but is perhaps best known for its John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences , which trains pilots and air traffic controllers from around the world . It is the first university to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operations . 
