R1 ResearchPublicLand-grant

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·unl.edu
6-yr Graduation
67%
-6.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
24,393
peer median 30,086
Avg net price
$17,747
-$1.3k vs R1 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
17,841
17,841 candidates competed
Admitted
15,609
87.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
4,650
29.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
67%-6.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
50%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
67%
Full-time retention
86%

Pell equity

14.7pp gap
Pell recipients
56%659 of 1187
Non-Pell (all)
71%2553 of 3609
Subsidized loan, no Pell
63%552 of 871
No Federal Aid
73%2001 of 2738

Non-Pell students graduate at a 14.7-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 242 Title IV programs, 78 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 164 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
242
Passing
78
32.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

242programs
  • Passing78 · 32.2%
  • No Data164 · 67.8%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
6
Safe
70
No data
164

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

78
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+3.6%
$37,386 vs $36,082
Agricultural Production Operations
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+9.6%
$39,559 vs $36,082
Classical and Ancient Studies
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+12.6%
$40,615 vs $36,082
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+14.2%
$61,308 vs $53,672
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+15.2%
$41,549 vs $36,082
Ethnic Cultural Minority Gender and Group Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+18.2%
$42,635 vs $36,082
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+24.2%
$44,825 vs $36,082
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+24.2%
$53,319 vs $42,937

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+3.6%
+$1,304

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

62
Classical and Ancient Studies
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
65%
$26,214 debt · $40,615 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
58%
$24,250 debt · $41,549 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Master's Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
58%
$32,960 debt · $56,989 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
58%
$35,351 debt · $61,308 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Doctoral Degree · Education
58%
$52,233 debt · $90,552 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
57%
$51,535 debt · $90,759 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
55%
$26,490 debt · $47,944 earn
Apparel and Textiles
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
52%
$27,000 debt · $51,654 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1913Next review Aug 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 29

Action history · 47

  1. Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
  2. Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
  3. Apr 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  4. Feb 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency)
  5. Feb 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Predoctoral

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,751
$30–48k$13,054
$48–75k$14,699
$75–110k$18,975
$110k+$22,346

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$17,747
-$1,250vs R1 Research median $18,998
Federal loans
32.6%
In-state tuition
$10,434
Out-of-state
$28,584

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 5,462 students received $33.0M in Pell grants, alongside $84.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
5,462
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$33.0M
$33,010,625 total
Direct Loans
$84.1M
12,017 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

5k
20
5k
21
4k
22
5k
23
5k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$15.5M
3,732 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$23.8M
5,483 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$11.4M
741 loan awards
Parent PLUS$30.1M
1,798 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.4M
263 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 4,130 borrowers who entered repayment, 23 (0.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,130
Defaulted
23
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.5%
2017
4.2%
2018
2.2%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at UNL

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs176
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

4,449 total completions
01Business
1,13725.6%
02Engineering
57913.0%
03Education
46510.5%
04Agriculture
4269.6%
05Family/Consumer Sci
3828.6%
06Communication
3638.2%
07Biological Sciences
3527.9%
08Psychology
3227.2%
09Visual/Performing Arts
2255.1%
10Social Sciences
1984.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
24,393
12-mo unduplicated
26,007
Undergraduate
20,501
Graduate
5,506

Gender split

Men
50%12,888
Women
50%13,119

Race / ethnicity composition

White
75.5%
Hispanic
9.6%
Asian
4.1%
Two or more
3.8%
Black
2.9%
Non-resident
2.8%
Unknown
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
618
341 M · 277 W
Women athletes
44.8%
Athletic aid
$12.7M
Total student aid
Budget
$198.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$7.1M
$5.6M
Recruiting expense
$2.4M
$773K
Head-coach salaries
$1.7M
$342K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 15

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
111 M · 122 W
$7.0M
Football
155 M ·
$70.6M
Basketball
18 M · 50 W
$19.3M
Baseball
42 M ·
$5.2M
Gymnastics
20 M · 21 W
$3.7M
Soccer
· 38 W
$2.5M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.83
44 offenses · 23,986 students

3-year trend

3.402 yrs ago2.021 yr ago1.83Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
175
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
101
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
15
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
6

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
19
Rape
11
Fondling
8
Burglary
3
Aggravated assault
2
Arson
1

By location

44total
  • On campus38
  • Non-campus4
  • Public property2

Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
5
Dating violence
26
Stalking
32 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race5
  • Religion1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons70
Drugs6152
Liquor35232

Residence-hall fires

  • Selleck Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • The Village1 fire
    CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Massengale Residential Ctr.1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,201

UNL vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions UNL selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln
67%24,393$17,747R1 Research
71%81.7%20,295$19,406R1 Research
69%93.5%29,792$18,059R1 Research
75%88.7%30,380$18,589R1 Research
75%83.6%30,779$22,531R1 Research
75%78.5%31,543$20,268R1 Research
Peer group median73%83.6%30,086$18,998

Institutions like UNL

Explore the federal data for institutions in UNL's comparison group.

Campuses

The 1 campus that make up University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

UNL Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics
Reports to Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor
Email
unlirp2 [at] unl.edu
Address
326 Canfield Administration Building, Lincoln, NE 68588-0420, US

The Fact Book provides a source of information on many aspects of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, aiming to provide general information around basic data sets to help answer questions and facilitate ongoing conversations with data.

Visit IR office page

Common Data Set

UNL's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about UNL.

What is the graduation rate at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports a 6-year graduation rate of 67% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports a total enrollment of 24,393 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

The average net price at University of Nebraska-Lincoln is $17,747 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln's yield rate is 29.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is University of Nebraska-Lincoln located?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln is located in Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0419.

Who runs Institutional Research at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln's IR work is done by the Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, which reports to Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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