Public · Community college

Mid-Plains Community College

North Platte, Nebraska · Fringe rural

#2 best value in Nebraska#4 for grad earnings in Nebraska
14%
Transfer rate
$5,235
Avg net price
54%
Grad / completion
$40,059
Median earnings

Mid-Plains Community College is a public associate-granting institution in North Platte, Nebraska (fringe rural setting), enrolling 937 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 937 undergradsFringe ruralNJCAA Division ICold winters

About North Platte, Nebraska

North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. North Platte was established in 1866 when the Union Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It derives its name from the North Platte River. Lincoln County Historical Museum contains a display detailing the history of the North Platte Canteen. It also contains a Prairie Village with local landmark homes and other buildings, including a Pony Express station and pioneer church among many others. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe rural
Highest degree offered
Associate
Nearest big city
213 miles to Lincoln, NE
To Great Lakes shore
582 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to North Platte Regional Airport Lee Bird Field (LBF)

How Mid-Plains Community College compares

Graduation rate54%

Higher than 41% · #10 of 17 in Nebraska

First-year retention63%

Higher than 28%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$40,059

Higher than 69% · #4 of 14 in Nebraska

Average net price$5,235

Cheaper than 90% · #2 cheapest of 16 in Nebraska

Median debt at graduation$9,995

Lower than 46%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 78%

Undergraduate enrollment937

Larger than 72%

Percentiles compare Mid-Plains Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Nebraska.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

937undergrads
  • Women52756%
  • Men41044%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black3.4%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian0.8%
  • Other or multiracial12%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
937
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
40%
Students over 25
17%
Median family income
$30,829
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,029

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 369 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Nebraska70%
  • Other U.S. states21%
  • International8.7%

Most first-years stay in state — Mid-Plains Community College draws overwhelmingly from Nebraska.

9% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Cost

In-state tuition
$3,600
Out-of-state tuition
$4,530
Room & board
$8,180
Books & supplies
$1,600
Total cost of attendance
$13,197
Average net price
$5,235

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated
54%
First-year retention
63%
Transferred to another college
14%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$34,852
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$40,059
Median debt at graduation
$9,995
Students with federal loans
11%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
49%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
54%
Low-income (Pell)
29%
First-generation
29%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
357
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
38%
Housing charge (year)
$3,280
Meal plan (year)
$4,032
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division I
Varsity athletes
209 (111 men · 98 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (6)

Basketball59
Baseball43
Rodeo32
Softball30
Volleyball29
Golf16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 7 campuses (2,140 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$4,853
$30–48k
$3,390
$48–75k
$4,329
$75–110k
$6,934
$110k+
$10,031

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

71%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,478
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 71% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,478. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 299 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$40,059
Typical debt at graduation
$9,995
Debt vs. one year's pay
25%
Out-earn a HS grad
46%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$35,774
Men
$46,129

Men out-earn women by $10,355 (29%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
87°F
Winter low
14°F
Annual rain
21.2″
Annual snow
28.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.93.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, N Platte Exp Farm, NE US station (2.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Mid-Plains Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Mid-Plains Community College side by side →

Colleges near Mid-Plains Community College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.