Survey Ranks Pay, Health Coverage Top Priorities

More than 3,000 North Dakota University System employees across 11 public campuses named competitive pay and fully covered health insurance as their top concerns.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Nursing Jobs

Red-brick academic hall on a flat open prairie lawn under a wide pale winter sky, with one bare tree at left. — North Dakota University System employees ranked competitive pay and fully covered health insurance as their top priorities in a survey of more than 3,000 staff across 11 public campuses. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

If you had to pay part of your health premiums, would you look for another job?

A survey of over 3,000 employees across 11 North Dakota University System public campuses identified competitive pay and fully covered health insurance as top priorities. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they wanted more competitive pay and rated it a high priority.

Why it matters

Officials said employee priorities have stayed consistent across the past three biennial surveys, suggesting the same concerns have persisted over time. The findings point to compensation and benefits as central factors in retaining university faculty, staff and administrators in the state.

Over 3,000 respondents across 11 public campuses were surveyed, and 62% said they would consider leaving if required to pay some health insurance premiums. Nearly three-quarters listed more competitive pay as a high priority, though the survey does not indicate how these rankings compare to peer systems.

The players

North Dakota University System

The public higher education system operating 11 campuses across North Dakota, overseeing its colleges and universities.

The details

The survey was conducted among faculty, staff and administrators at 11 public campuses within the North Dakota University System. Respondents rated competitive pay and fully covered health insurance as their leading priorities, a pattern officials said has held steady over three biennial surveys.

Prior biennial surveys documented the same employee priorities over the past three survey cycles.
Article reporting the current survey results was published November 11, 2026.

Season Trajectory

The current survey continues a three-cycle pattern in which North Dakota University System employees have consistently ranked pay and health coverage highest. Because the priorities have not shifted across successive biennial surveys, the findings suggest compensation and benefits remain the persistent focus of the system's workforce.

For North Dakota university employees, the survey signals that pay increases and fully covered health insurance remain the factors most likely to influence whether staff stay. Employees who would consider leaving over premium costs may see those benefit decisions shape retention across campuses.

The takeaway

Compensation and health benefits consistently rank as the top concerns for this workforce, so retaining staff may depend on addressing those two priorities directly. Tracking how future survey cycles respond will show whether the gap is narrowing.