University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, Nebraska · Public · 4-year · Town

At a glance

Average net price: $16,242What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 89%
Graduation rate: 59%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 4,088
In-state tuition: $8,676Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $15,284
SAT midpoint: 1,036
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $50,105Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$16,242

2/5

Better than 36% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).

Completion

59%

4/5

Better than 66% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).

Earnings

$50,105

2/5

Better than 35% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).

Debt at graduation

$19,500

4/5

Better than 64% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$25,808

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$16,242

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for University of Nebraska at Kearney
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	59%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	80%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$19,500
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$50,105

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at University of Nebraska at Kearney by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Agricultural Business and Management	$61,152	14
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$60,771	23
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$48,861	157
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$42,001	26
Fine and Studio Arts	$40,501	14
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$40,128	26
History	$39,340	21
Social Work	$39,218	44
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$38,853	124
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies	$38,009	30
Journalism	$36,703	23
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	$35,726	13
English Language and Literature, General	$35,419	22
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$34,385	19
Psychology, General	$34,055	Not reported
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$29,471	42
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	$28,241	45
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Not reported	49
Research and Experimental Psychology	Not reported	44
Biology, General	Not reported	42
Political Science and Government	Not reported	18
Special Education and Teaching	Not reported	15
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	Not reported	15
Design and Applied Arts	Not reported	12
Sociology	Not reported	10
Music	Not reported	9
Chemistry	Not reported	8
Air Transportation	Not reported	8
Mathematics	Not reported	7
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	Not reported	6
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	Not reported	5
Philosophy	Not reported	4
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	2
Physics	Not reported	2
International Relations and National Security Studies	Not reported	1
Geography and Cartography	Not reported	1
Economics	Not reported	Not reported
Communication and Media Studies	Not reported	Not reported
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	Not reported	Not reported

All 39 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

Similar colleges

Wayne State College
Wayne, NE
Also a public four-year college in NE, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two
Chadron State College
Chadron, NE
Also a public four-year college in NE, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two
Peru State College
Peru, NE
Also a public four-year college in NE, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE
Also a public four-year college in NE, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two