2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska
19
Colleges
$45,985
Avg Salary*
36%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top Nebraska Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
After analyzing 19 schools in Nebraska, we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. To come up with this ranking, we look at more than 20 factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include freshman retention, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and post graduate earnings, among other things.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Top Colleges in Nebraska
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Creighton University tops this year’s ranking as the best school in Nebraska for overall quality. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 2,878 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Creighton make an average of $66,524 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Creighton University Report
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges in Nebraska list means University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6,179 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UNL is $52,360 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of Nebraska - Lincoln
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bellevue University. The school came in at #3 in Nebraska on this year’s overall quality ranking. Bellevue University is located in Bellevue, Nebraska and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,533 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Bellevue University make an average of $56,762 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Bellevue University Report
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Concordia University, Nebraska helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Nebraska. Concordia University, Nebraska is located in Seward, Nebraska and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,272 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The low student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University, Nebraska go into careers with an average salary of $45,784 during the early years of their career.
Full Concordia University, Nebraska Report
Out of the 19 schools in Nebraska that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the fairly large public school awarded 3,611 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UNOMAHA make an average of $50,131 per year during the early years of their career.
Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Report
Metropolitan Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges in Nebraska list.Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,876 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from MCC go into careers with an average salary of $35,108 during the early years of their career.
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College of Saint Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges in Nebraska list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 319 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary make an average of $48,273 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on College of Saint Mary
Nebraska Wesleyan University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 496 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from NWU go into careers with an average salary of $52,697 during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #9, Wayne State College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska list. WSC is a public institution located in Wayne, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 934 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WSC go into careers with an average salary of $43,727 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Wayne State College
University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Kearney, Nebraska, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,448 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UNK make an average of $46,054 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of Nebraska at Kearney
Southeast Community College Area came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 1,330 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Community College is $40,861 during the early years of their career.
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Chadron State College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking, coming in at #12. Chadron State College is located in Chadron, Nebraska and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 491 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Chadron State College is $43,869 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Chadron State College
Northeast Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking.Norfolk, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 972 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Northeast go into careers with an average salary of $37,858 during the early years of their career.
Full Northeast Community College Report
Central Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking, coming in at #14. Central Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Grand Island, Nebraska that handed out 2,747 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Central Community College make an average of $34,795 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Central Community College Report
Midland University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Fremont, Nebraska, and it awarded 385 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Midland U make an average of $50,032 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Midland University Report
With a ranking of #16, Peru State College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska list. Located in Peru, Nebraska, the small public school handed out 372 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Peru State is $42,121 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Peru State College
Union College Nebraska came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking. Union College is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 233 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Union College go into careers with an average salary of $45,198 during the early years of their career.
Full Union College Nebraska Report
With a ranking of #18, Mid-Plains Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in Nebraska list. This small public school is located in North Platte, Nebraska, and it awarded 420 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Mid-Plains Community College is $33,361 during the early years of their career.
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Doane University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Crete, Nebraska, and it awarded 689 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Doane Crete make an average of $48,203 a year.
Read full report on Doane University
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