Private nonprofit · University

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, Nebraska · Large city

#4 graduation rate in Nebraska
79.8%
Admit rate
$18,327
Avg net price
66%
Graduation rate
$56,405
Median earnings

Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Lincoln, Nebraska (large city setting), enrolling 1,453 undergraduates. It has a United Methodist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,453 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 80% admitNCAA Division III with football · American Rivers ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Nebraska Wesleyan University's admitted students.

Admit rate
79.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
1020–1290
Avg GPA (est.)
3.41

Enter a test score to see where you land against Nebraska Wesleyan University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Nebraska Wesleyan University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. Before the expansion westward of settlers, the prairie was covered with buffalo grass. The Pawnee, which included four tribes, lived in villages along the Platte River. Since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013, Lincoln's music scene has grown to the point where it is sometimes called a "Music City". Primary venues for live music include Pinnacle Bank Arena, Bourbon Theatre, Duffy's Tavern, and the Zoo Bar. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
3 miles to Lincoln, NE
To Great Lakes shore
466 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Lincoln (LNK)

How Nebraska Wesleyan University compares

Selectivity79.8%

More selective than 45% · #9 most selective of 15 in Nebraska

SAT average1189

Higher than 55%

Graduation rate66%

Higher than 70% · #4 of 19 in Nebraska

First-year retention75%

Higher than 45%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$56,405

Higher than 58% · #8 of 21 in Nebraska

Average net price$18,327

Cheaper than 58% · #9 cheapest of 19 in Nebraska

Median debt at graduation$26,970

Lower than 17%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,453

Larger than 48%

Percentiles compare Nebraska Wesleyan University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Nebraska.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,644students
  • Undergraduate1,45388%
  • Graduate19112%

Undergraduates by gender

1,453undergrads
  • Women83457%
  • Men61943%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black5.4%
  • Hispanic9.3%
  • Asian2.2%
  • Other or multiracial9.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,453
Graduate enrollment
191
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
34%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$69,291
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$60,705
Endowment
$82,773,000

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 440 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Nebraska71%
  • Other U.S. states26%
  • International3.0%

Most first-years stay in state — Nebraska Wesleyan University draws overwhelmingly from Nebraska.

3% 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
79.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1020–1290
SAT average
1189
SAT reading
490–660
SAT math
530–630
ACT composite
22–27
Average GPA (estimated)
3.41

Cost

In-state tuition
$43,572
Room & board
$11,915
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$53,569
Average net price
$18,327

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 (within 6 years)
66%
Graduated on time (4 years)
58%
First-year retention
75%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,667
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$56,405
Median debt at graduation
$26,970
Students with federal loans
54%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
70%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
58%
Low-income (Pell)
46%
First-generation
47%

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
900
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
62%
Housing charge (year)
$7,437
Meal plan (year)
$2,545
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
American Rivers Conference
Varsity athletes
707 (464 men · 243 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 (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)264
Football122
Soccer58
Basketball47
Swimming47
Baseball44
Wrestling35
Golf26
Volleyball25
Tennis21
Softball18

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
8.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
27
Property offenses (2022–2024)
17

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,654 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.

15reported offenses a year
9.0 violent a year5.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.0
Fondling
3.3
Motor vehicle theft
3.0
Burglary
2.3
Aggravated assault
1.7
Arson
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
$14,925
$30–48k
$16,974
$48–75k
$14,594
$75–110k
$18,244
$110k+
$23,652

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$60,958

$14,594/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$26,075
average award, among those who get one

Nebraska Wesleyan University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $26,075. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 358 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)
$56,405
Typical debt at graduation
$26,970
Debt vs. one year's pay
48%
Out-earn a HS grad
73%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.8 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
$52,953
Men
$61,397

Men out-earn women by $8,444 (16%) 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
32.3″
Annual snow
26″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lincoln 8 Ene, NE US station (4.4 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 Nebraska Wesleyan University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Nebraska Wesleyan University side by side →

Colleges near Nebraska Wesleyan University

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.