Public · University
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska · Large city
- 87.5%
- Admit rate
- $17,747
- Avg net price
- 67%
- Graduation rate
- $56,887
- Median earnings
University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Lincoln, Nebraska (large city setting), enrolling 19,178 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against University of Nebraska-Lincoln's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 87.5%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1098–1330
- Avg GPA
- 3.54
Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Nebraska-Lincoln's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Nebraska-Lincoln'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
- Lincoln, NE
- To Great Lakes shore
- 469 miles
- Nearest airport
- 4 miles to Lincoln (LNK)
How University of Nebraska-Lincoln compares
More selective than 30% · #12 most selective of 15 in Nebraska
Higher than 56%
Higher than 72% · #3 of 19 in Nebraska
Higher than 79%
Higher than 59% · #7 of 21 in Nebraska
Cheaper than 61% · #8 cheapest of 19 in Nebraska
Lower than 67%
Lower than 23%
Larger than 94%
Percentiles compare University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Nebraska.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate19,17880%
- Graduate4,69220%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women10,07053%
- Men9,10847%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White76%
- Black2.9%
- Hispanic9.6%
- Asian4.1%
- Other or multiracial7.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 19,178
- Graduate enrollment
- 4,692
- Student–faculty ratio
- 17 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 23%
- First-generation students
- 22%
- Students over 25
- 3%
- Median family income
- $71,878
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $113,922
- Endowment
- $1,479,930,187
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 4,699 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Nebraska75%
- Other U.S. states24%
- International1.5%
Most first-years stay in state — University of Nebraska-Lincoln draws overwhelmingly from Nebraska.
2% 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
- 87.5%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1098–1330
- SAT average
- 1191
- SAT reading
- 560–670
- SAT math
- 538–660
- ACT composite
- 22–28
- Average GPA
- 3.54
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $10,434
- Out-of-state tuition
- $28,584
- Room & board
- $14,120
- Books & supplies
- $1,100
- Total cost of attendance
- $26,697
- Average net price
- $17,747
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)
- 67%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 50%
- First-year retention
- 86%
- Transferred to another college
- 20%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $47,692
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $56,887
- Median debt at graduation
- $21,000
- Students with federal loans
- 33%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 69%
About 17% 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)
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
- 5,814
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 30%
- Housing charge (year)
- $8,106
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,750
- Application fee
- $45
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I-FBS
- Football conference
- Big Ten Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 756 (400 men · 356 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 (15)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 88
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 70
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (24,393 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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$14,699/year × about 4.4 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.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 92% — get grant money from University of Nebraska-Lincoln itself, averaging $8,033, which softens the sticker price.
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 4,616 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)
- $56,887
- Typical debt at graduation
- $21,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 37%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 70%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $11,166 (22%) 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
- 89°F
- Winter low
- 14°F
- Annual rain
- 29.3″
- Annual snow
- 26″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lincoln Muni AP, NE US station (3.4 mi from campus).
What University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduates study — and earn
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 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Nebraska-Lincoln side by side →
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina · Small city · 72 mi to Raleigh
- Students
- 19,896
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1180
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $55k
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia · Midsize city · 3 mi to Norfolk
- Students
- 17,514
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1197
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $55k
Utah State University
Logan, Utah · Small city · 68 mi to Salt Lake City
- Students
- 20,272
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1187
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $54k
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky · Large city · < 1 mi to Lexington
- Students
- 24,763
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1215
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $59k
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina · Distant town · 65 mi to Asheville
- Students
- 19,444
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1214
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $52k
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas · Small city · 37 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 21,217
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1190
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $62k
Colleges near University of Nebraska-Lincoln
College of Hair Design-Downtown
Lincoln, NE · Private for-profit · Certificate · 53 students
Bryan College of Health Sciences
Lincoln, NE · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 553 students
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln, NE · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,453 students
Joseph's College Cosmetology
Lincoln, NE · Private for-profit · Certificate · 92 students
Union Adventist University
Lincoln, NE · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 471 students
Myotherapy Institute
Lincoln, NE · Private for-profit · Associate · 12 students
Southeast Community College Area
Lincoln, NE · Public · Certificate · 6,773 students
Entourage Institute of Beauty and Esthetics
Lincoln, NE · Private for-profit · Certificate · 99 students
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.














