2026 Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Nebraska

[Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting students.
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2026 Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Nebraska
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools
Central Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools in Nebraska. Set in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,360, with out-of-state students paying around $4,800. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates carry a median of $10,277 in student loans. Soon after graduation, homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting degree recipients from Central Community College generally make around $43,218. That is a strong return on a $10,277 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Metropolitan Community College Area one of the best values for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting. Metropolitan Community College Area is a very large public school located in the city of Omaha. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,375, with out-of-state students paying around $4,950. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $13,462. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of Metropolitan Community College Area earn a median of $28,511 early in their careers. Set against $13,462 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southeast Community College Area came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools. Set in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,444, compared with $4,032 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,552 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Soon after graduation, homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting degree recipients from Southeast Community College Area generally make around $28,473. Set against $14,552 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Northeast Community College one of the best values for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting. Located in the town of Norfolk, Northeast Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $3,840 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $5,130. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $9,000. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of Northeast Community College earn a median of $33,064 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting will find it at University Of Nebraska At Omaha, which ranked #5. University Of Nebraska At Omaha is a large public school located in the city of Omaha. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,718, while out-of-state students pay about $23,206. Students borrow a median of $22,507 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $45,864. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Nebraska At Omaha admits about 87% of applicants.
Peru State College came in at #6 for value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting this year. Set in the rural area of Peru, Peru State College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,433. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates carry a median of $27,367 in student loans. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $38,953. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Wayne State College landed the #7 spot for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting value this year. Set in the town of Wayne, Wayne State College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,171. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $41,869. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt.
Chadron State College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools. Set in the town of Chadron, Chadron State College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,294. Students borrow a median of $20,250 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of Chadron State College earn a median of $32,454 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Nebraska At Kearney earned the #9 position for value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting this year. Set in the town of Kearney, University Of Nebraska At Kearney is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,564, while out-of-state students pay about $16,484. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $19,250. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $40,128. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Nebraska At Kearney admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. In-state tuition and fees average $10,434, while out-of-state students pay about $28,584. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates carry a median of $26,908 in student loans. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $29,231. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Concordia University Seward ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools. Located in the town of Seward, Concordia University Seward is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $40,640. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $26,726. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of Concordia University Seward earn a median of $51,046 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Midland University landed the #12 spot for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting value this year. Set in the town of Fremont, Midland University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,050. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $41,149. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Bellevue University came in at #13 for value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting this year. Bellevue University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bellevue. Students from in state pay about $12,873 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $18,750. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $65,603. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.