
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2023
Questions & Answers
What do all these numbers mean?
All costs shown here are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket for one year at the college in question. Net cost is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Figures are based on data from the 2020-21 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2023.
What is “Total Cost” on the chart?
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for one year at that particular college. It includes:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
There are detailed chart below for each school that shows these expenses. Click here to go to the individual cost breakdown for schools.
How can I use this information?
This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. It's a good place to start until you better understand your specific circumstances. For example, let's say your income is $100,000 per year. This chart shows that the average state school would run $17,626 and the average private school would be $22,949. You can also get information on specific Nebraska schools in the chart above or the tables below.
Will my family pay the amount on this chart?
Probably not. The numbers are averages. You may be below average or above average. However, there are two key points we can learn from this data:
- Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will most likely pay close to full price at the public schools.
- Private colleges have a higher list price but offer more discounts. This brings their net price much closer to the cost of state-funded schools.
Where did this information come from?
As part of federal financial aid, colleges are required to provide detailed cost information to the U.S. government. This data is made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics. For more details, click here.
What about athletes, merit aid or minority students?
Athletes, high achieving students, and those with minority status are averaged in with everyone else. Within each income bracket, there are families that pay more than average and families that pay less than average.
The costs on this chart seem large. How can families afford to pay it?
For many families paying for college is not easy, but in the end they figure out. Most families will pay their net cost of college with some combination of:
- College savings and investments
- Payments from current income
- Loans
- Outside scholarships (check out the Scholarship Guide For Busy Parents to learn how your student can win scholarships)
- Tax planning
- Student work

Net Price:
Net prices is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus the average amount in government grants and institutional scholarships the school awards. This is an average, so you may pay above the average or below the average. Your exact net price is likely to be different and sometimes drastically different.
Most families will pay the net price with some combination of savings and investments, current income and various loans. Some students will also receive scholarships from sources other than the federal or state government or the college. Any scholarships and grants from these outside sources are not included in the data. However, government grants and institutional scholarships are included in the averages.
Total Cost at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2020-21) | |
---|---|
Tuition and Fees | $9,690 |
Room and Board | $12,186 |
Books | $1,000 |
Other Expenses | $3,374 |
Total | $26,250 |
Total Cost:
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular institution for the 2020-21 school year. This is the latest data available as of January 2023. Total costs include:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
College Total Cost | ||
---|---|---|
Family Income | NE Public $22,751 | NE Private $40,707 |
$0 - $30k | $12,492 | $17,434 |
$30,001 – $48k | $13,109 | $17,088 |
$48,001 – $75k | $14,969 | $20,722 |
$75,001 – $110k | $17,626 | $22,949 |
$110,001+ | $18,731 | $23,995 |
Public vs. Private Averages
This table shows the average total cost of attendance for the Nebraska public and private colleges we have included in our analysis. The costs include a breakdown of the average net price paid by family income. Notice that the average private college is $4,000-$6,000 more than the average public school, depending on your income bracket. It is important to stress that these are averages. Most families will not be average, and their individual circumstances could be drastically different. I encourage all families to work with their preferred colleges to get information specific to their family.
Below are similar charts for each individual private and public college in Nebraska. Click a school to view its complete chart.
Public NE Schools Cost Breakdown
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Chadron State College
Chadron Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $7,634 $7,844 Room and Board $8,126 $8,534 Books $1,800 $1,800 Other Expenses $5,508 $5,814 Total $23,068 $23,992 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $11,376 $11,832 $30,001 - $48k $11,976 $12,456 $48,001 - $75k $15,645 $16,272 $75,001 - $110k $17,858 $18,573 $110,001+ $18,227 $18,957 -
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $7,962 $7,986 Room and Board $10,776 $11,080 Books $700 $712 Other Expenses $4,640 $4,522 Total $24,078 $24,300 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $14,039 $14,168 $30,001 - $48k $14,058 $14,188 $48,001 - $75k $15,894 $16,041 $75,001 - $110k $18,174 $18,342 $110,001+ $20,759 $20,950 -
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $8,136 $8,136 Room and Board $10,196 $10,414 Books $1,120 $1,120 Other Expenses $3,770 $3,718 Total $23,222 $23,388 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $11,037 $11,116 $30,001 - $48k $11,498 $11,580 $48,001 - $75k $13,312 $13,407 $75,001 - $110k $17,036 $17,158 $110,001+ $18,208 $18,338
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $9,690 $9,872 Room and Board $12,186 $11,920 Books $1,000 $1,100 Other Expenses $3,374 $3,424 Total $26,250 $26,316 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $12,172 $12,203 $30,001 - $48k $13,585 $13,619 $48,001 - $75k $15,526 $15,565 $75,001 - $110k $19,044 $19,092 $110,001+ $21,706 $21,761 -
Peru State College
Peru Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $7,920 $7,680 Room and Board $8,680 $8,680 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $1,736 $1,500 Total $19,536 $19,060 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $14,795 $14,435 $30,001 - $48k $15,883 $15,496 $48,001 - $75k $15,252 $14,880 $75,001 - $110k $16,917 $16,505 $110,001+ $16,291 $15,894 -
Wayne State College
Wayne Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $7,428 $7,618 Room and Board $8,580 $8,690 Books $1,200 $1,300 Other Expenses $3,142 $3,214 Total $20,350 $20,822 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $11,535 $11,803 $30,001 - $48k $11,652 $11,922 $48,001 - $75k $14,187 $14,516 $75,001 - $110k $16,724 $17,112 $110,001+ $17,193 $17,592
Private NE Schools Cost Breakdown
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Bellevue University
Bellevue Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $7,851 $8,310 Room and Board $9,090 $10,683 Books $1,350 $1,833 Other Expenses $3,780 $3,924 Total $22,071 $24,750 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,060 $19,131 $30,001 - $48k $13,319 $14,936 $48,001 - $75k $15,881 $17,809 $75,001 - $110k $16,662 $18,684 $110,001+ $16,056 $18,005 -
Clarkson College
Omaha Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $14,496 $14,880 Room and Board $7,284 $7,284 Books $814 $814 Other Expenses $3,012 $2,996 Total $25,606 $25,974 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $10,097 $10,242 $30,001 - $48k $13,154 $13,343 $48,001 - $75k $18,313 $18,576 $75,001 - $110k $17,454 $17,705 $110,001+ $23,537 $23,875 -
Concordia University-Nebraska
Seward Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $34,900 $36,310 Room and Board $9,240 $9,600 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $2,455 $2,495 Total $47,595 $49,405 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,513 $18,179 $30,001 - $48k $18,194 $18,886 $48,001 - $75k $20,322 $21,095 $75,001 - $110k $23,219 $24,102 $110,001+ $24,465 $25,395 -
Creighton University
Omaha Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $43,018 $44,524 Room and Board $11,600 $11,700 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $2,800 $2,800 Total $58,618 $60,224 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $24,639 $25,314 $30,001 - $48k $23,129 $23,763 $48,001 - $75k $27,241 $27,987 $75,001 - $110k $30,031 $30,854 $110,001+ $33,463 $34,380 -
Doane University-Arts & Sciences
Crete Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $36,800 $37,880 Room and Board $10,000 $10,300 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $4,730 $4,730 Total $52,530 $53,910 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $20,241 $20,773 $30,001 - $48k $18,844 $19,339 $48,001 - $75k $23,159 $23,767 $75,001 - $110k $23,717 $24,340 $110,001+ $26,140 $26,827 -
Hastings College
Hastings Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $32,770 $33,590 Room and Board $10,290 $10,810 Books $100 $100 Other Expenses $3,994 $3,994 Total $47,154 $48,494 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,109 $17,595 $30,001 - $48k $15,850 $16,300 $48,001 - $75k $18,643 $19,173 $75,001 - $110k $23,664 $24,336 $110,001+ $25,486 $26,210
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Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Omaha Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $16,708 $16,207 Room and Board $9,802 $9,820 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $5,148 $5,158 Total $32,658 $32,185 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,618 $19,334 $30,001 - $48k $18,918 $18,644 $48,001 - $75k $21,390 $21,080 $75,001 - $110k $25,713 $25,341 $110,001+ $23,630 $23,288 -
Midland University
Fremont Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $35,528 $36,746 Room and Board $9,226 $9,574 Books $1,020 $1,020 Other Expenses $2,092 $2,486 Total $47,866 $49,826 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,246 $17,952 $30,001 - $48k $17,179 $17,882 $48,001 - $75k $21,036 $21,897 $75,001 - $110k $24,742 $25,755 $110,001+ $23,502 $24,464 -
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $36,854 $38,334 Room and Board $10,258 $10,944 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $3,500 $3,500 Total $51,612 $53,778 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,441 $20,257 $30,001 - $48k $19,243 $20,051 $48,001 - $75k $25,358 $26,422 $75,001 - $110k $26,563 $27,678 $110,001+ $27,594 $28,752 -
College of Saint Mary
Omaha Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $21,370 $21,800 Room and Board $8,000 $8,000 Books $864 $881 Other Expenses $2,986 $3,045 Total $33,220 $33,726 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $10,658 $10,820 $30,001 - $48k $9,800 $9,949 $48,001 - $75k $14,300 $14,518 $75,001 - $110k $19,143 $19,435 $110,001+ $21,811 $22,143 -
Union College
Lincoln Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $25,340 $26,060 Room and Board $7,170 $7,210 Books $1,600 $1,600 Other Expenses $3,790 $4,020 Total $37,900 $38,890 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,752 $20,268 $30,001 - $48k $21,124 $21,676 $48,001 - $75k $23,890 $24,514 $75,001 - $110k $26,467 $27,158 $110,001+ $21,583 $22,147 -
York College
York Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $19,810 $19,900 Room and Board $8,790 $8,550 Books $300 $300 Other Expenses $2,750 $2,750 Total $31,650 $31,500 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,831 $15,756 $30,001 - $48k $16,296 $16,219 $48,001 - $75k $19,125 $19,034 $75,001 - $110k $18,016 $17,931 $110,001+ $20,669 $20,571
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