Public · Community college
Western Nebraska Community College
Scottsbluff, Nebraska · Remote town
- 13%
- Transfer rate
- $5,474
- Avg net price
- 37%
- Grad / completion
- $38,729
- Median earnings
Western Nebraska Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Scottsbluff, Nebraska (remote town setting), enrolling 893 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States, in the Great Plains region. Scottsbluff was founded in 1899 by the Lincoln Land Company, a subsidiary of the Burlington Railroad. By 1900, the Burlington Railroad laid tracks into the town and placed a discarded boxcar next to the tracks as a temporary depot. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 154 miles to Rapid City, SD
- To Great Lakes shore
- 662 miles
- Nearest airport
- 2 miles to Western Neb. Rgnl/William B. Heilig (BFF)
How Western Nebraska Community College compares
Higher than 21% · #13 of 17 in Nebraska
Higher than 13%
Higher than 64% · #7 of 14 in Nebraska
Cheaper than 89% · #3 cheapest of 16 in Nebraska
Lower than 66%
Lower than 73%
Larger than 71%
Percentiles compare Western Nebraska 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
- Women51658%
- Men37742%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White54%
- Black3.5%
- Hispanic27%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial14%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 893
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 27%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 22%
- Median family income
- $28,423
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $58,995
- Endowment
- $6,735,079
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $3,840
- Out-of-state tuition
- $4,410
- Room & board
- $9,340
- Books & supplies
- $1,500
- Total cost of attendance
- $13,939
- Average net price
- $5,474
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
- 37%
- First-year retention
- 53%
- Transferred to another college
- 13%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,557
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $38,729
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,000
- Students with federal loans
- 8%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 45%
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
- 336
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 38%
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 152 (88 men · 64 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 (5)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.4 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,569 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.
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.
Modest institutional aid: 67% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,091. 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 214 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)
- $38,729
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 23%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 45%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 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 $12,614 (38%) 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
- 15°F
- Annual rain
- 15.6″
- Annual snow
- 39.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Scottsbluff 1E, NE US station (0.8 mi from campus).
What Western Nebraska Community College 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 Western Nebraska Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Western Nebraska Community College side by side →
Mid-Plains Community College
North Platte, Nebraska · Fringe rural · 213 mi to Lincoln
- Students
- 937
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $40k
Highland Community College
Freeport, Illinois · Fringe rural · 30 mi to Rockford
- Students
- 931
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $38k
Labette Community College
Parsons, Kansas · Remote town · 91 mi to Tulsa
- Students
- 801
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 32%
- Earnings
- $38k
Northeast Community College
Norfolk, Nebraska · Remote town · 93 mi to Lincoln
- Students
- 2,387
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $43k
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Johnstown, Pennsylvania · Fringe rural · 62 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 788
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $39k
Redlands Community College
El Reno, Oklahoma · Distant town · 26 mi to Oklahoma City
- Students
- 946
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $37k
Colleges near Western Nebraska Community College
Summit Christian College
Gering, NE · Private nonprofit · Associate · 21 students
Eastern Wyoming College
Torrington, WY · Public · Associate · 482 students
Chadron State College
Chadron, NE · Public · Bachelor's · 1,540 students
Laramie County Community College
Cheyenne, WY · Public · Associate · 2,799 students
Cheeks Beauty Academy
Cheyenne, WY · Private for-profit · Certificate · 47 students
Northeastern Junior College
Sterling, CO · Public · Certificate · 786 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.







