Most Affordable Public Universities in Nebraska
State-run four-year universities, ranked by net price after aid. In-state students usually pay far less than the published out-of-state rate.
7 public universities in Nebraska are listed here, 7 of them reporting a net price. They run from $11,632 a year at Peru State College to $23,334 at Nebraska Indian Community College, with a middle of about $15,360.
The cheapest are Peru State College, Chadron State College and University of Nebraska at Omaha. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Public universities in Nebraska, cheapest first · 7
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- Peru State College
- Chadron State College
- University of Nebraska at Omaha
- Wayne State College
- University of Nebraska at Kearney
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Nebraska Indian Community College
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable public university in Nebraska?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Peru State College at about $11,632 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do public universities in Nebraska cost on average?
- Across the 7 public universities in Nebraska that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $15,360 a year after aid, running from $11,632 to $23,334.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 23% to 38%, with a middle of about 35%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free