Nebraska
Student Access & Success
Nebraska’s four-year institutions receive an average grade in this area, scoring near the national median on retention and completion rates, as well as on the number of credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. Nebraska’s two-year institutions receive a good grade, ranking in the top 15 states on both completion and retention rates.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Nebraska’s four-year institutions receive an average grade in this area with a cost per completion of $62,804 and a state and local funding per completion of $49,589. Nebraska’s two-year institutions fare worse with a cost per completion ($58,058) that is slightly above the national median of $57,210 and a state and local funding per completion ($47,598) that falls in the bottom 15 states.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Nebraska bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $15,200 (or 50%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 2.5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $5,200 (or 17%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 2 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Nebraska receives low marks overall, despite an average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state does not measure student learning outcomes, but both four- and two-year systems do release frequent reports tracking graduate labor market performance by institution.
Policy Environment
Nebraska’s state plan does not have hard targets or goals for student outcomes beyond graduation rates. The state does not have outcomes-based funding or an official statewide articulation and credit transfer policy.
Innovation
The University of Nebraska offers degree programs online via its Online Worldwide campus, but there is no resource that provides information about individual online courses for either universities or community colleges. Regarding new providers, Nebraska asserts minimal jurisdiction but has a highly burdensome approval process, resulting in a middling grade.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
NE Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 26.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 78.1 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 55.7 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 19.2 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $62,804 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $49,589 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $78,206 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $15,191 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 150.0 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $12,000 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 146.2 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.4 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.5 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
NE Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 53.6 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 63.5 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 30.4 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 15.7 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $58,058 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $47,598 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $60,426 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $5,190 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 117.1 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $5,396 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 120.8 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.1 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.0 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.71 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
NE Nat'l| Policy Environment | F |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | false | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 0 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | C |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 72% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 100% | |
| Financial Burden | 67% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 50% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | D |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 28.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 2 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 6
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 7
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 38946
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 35084