First off you will not be getting the same quality of instruction from a local FBO. The flying you do at UND is only a part of the total curriculum of ground schools, classes, seminars, etc. All the training done there is specifically geared towards airline flying (i.e. checklist usage, flows, standardization) and gives you a more rounded flight education. As a trade-off many companies come to UND for job offers and career fairs.
As for leaving friends, you'll be moving around plenty as a pilot throughout your career so you might want to make the plunge. I have made the best friends of my life in North Dakota and wouldn't trade it for anything else.