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University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

254 awards Ranking Badges
Fair Price Value for Your Money
88% Acceptance Rate

University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution in Lincoln, Nebraska enrolling 19,178 undergraduates. It accepts 88% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 67%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #281 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 5%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.

Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.

How Is University of Nebraska-Lincoln Ranked?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranks #281 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 5%.

#281 Best Colleges in Nation
#3 Best Colleges in NE
University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranking badge

2027 Rankings

College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln was awarded 254 badges in the 2027 rankings.

Overall Quality

College Factual ranked UNL as #281 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list. This puts it in the top 10% of all schools in the nation.

Within the state, UNL holds the #3 spot on the Best Colleges in Nebraska ranking.

See all of the rankings for University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Is It Hard to Get Into University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

88% Acceptance Rate
89% Of Accepted Are Women
7% Submit SAT Scores

Acceptance Rate

With an acceptance rate of 88%, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is easier to get into than many other schools. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your application. Make sure to treat this school like any other when submitting requested materials and documents.

Average Test Scores

About 7% of students accepted to UNL submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 560 and 670. Math scores were between 538 and 660.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for University of Nebraska-Lincoln  ( 560 to 670 )
200
800
SAT Math Scores for University of Nebraska-Lincoln  ( 538 to 660 )
200
800

UNL received ACT scores from 82% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 22 and 28.

ACT Composite Scores for University of Nebraska-Lincoln  ( 22 to 28 )
1
36

Learn more about University of Nebraska-Lincoln admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

17 to 1 Student to Faculty
85% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

The student to faculty ratio at University of Nebraska-Lincoln is about average at 17 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.

The full-time faculty percentage at University of Nebraska-Lincoln is 85%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  85 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

86% Freshmen Retention
67% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a freshmen retention rate of 86%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.

Freshmen Retention Rate  86 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At UNL the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 67%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  67 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

How Diverse Is University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

19,178 Undergraduate Students
20.8% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
49.8% Percent Women

In the current academic year, there are 19,178 undergraduates at UNL.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

How Much Does University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
33% Take Out Loans
$23,132 Total Student Loans

The average net price of UNL is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.

Net Price by Income Group for UNL

$0-30 K $30K-48K $48-75 $75-110K $110K +
$12,751 $13,054 $14,699 $18,975 $22,346

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of UNL, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.

Student Loan Debt

While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At UNL, approximately 33% of students took out student loans averaging $5,783 a year. That adds up to $23,132 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 3.9%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

How Much Do University of Nebraska-Lincoln Graduates Earn?

$56,887 Avg Salary of Grads
High Earnings Boost

Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from University of Nebraska-Lincoln make around $56,887 per year during the early years of their employment. This is good news for future University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduates since it is 16% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Average Salary for University of Nebraska-Lincoln Graduates

See which majors at University of Nebraska-Lincoln make the most money.

Where Is University of Nebraska-Lincoln Located?

Nebraska State
19,178 Undergraduate Students
Large City Campus Setting

University of Nebraska-Lincoln is an public institution situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. Lincoln is a great location for students who prefer city over country life. Get more details about the location of University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Location of University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Get in touch with University of Nebraska-Lincoln are listed below.

Contact Details
Address: 1400 R Street, Lincoln, NE 68588-0419
Phone: 4024727211
Website: www.unl.edu/
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Nebraska-Lincoln
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UNLincoln
Twitter: twitter.com/UNLincoln

What Majors Does University of Nebraska-Lincoln Offer?

28 Majors With Completions
11,634 Undergraduate Degrees

During the most recent year for which we have data, students from 28 majors graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.

Most Popular Majors Completions Average Salary of Graduates
Multi-Disciplinary Studies 5,817 NA
Business Administration & Management 402 $57,608
General Psychology 304 $27,999
Management Sciences & Methods 272 $63,533
Public Relations & Advertising 225 $39,532
Finance & Financial Management 219 $46,376
Teacher Education Grade Specific 198 $39,306
Food, Nutrition & Related Services 191 $29,306
General Biology 180 $27,263
Marketing 179 $46,568

Learn more about the majors offered at University of Nebraska-Lincoln along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Does UNL Offer Online Classes?

72% Take At Least One Class Online
1% Take All Classes Online

13,717 students took at least one online class at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.

Learn more about online learning at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Curious how schools stack up against UNL? Match them up using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.

Notes and References

Footnotes

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

References

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