Peru State College

Peru State College is a public college in Peru, Nebraska. It graduates 38% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $47,071 ten years after starting college, more than 11% of the Nebraska colleges we cover.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
Not reported

College Scorecard

What your family pays
$11,632 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $22,240. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
38%

Higher than 6% of Nebraska colleges we cover and 21% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$47,071

Higher than 11% of Nebraska colleges we cover and 32% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Peru State College acceptance rate & admissions

First-year students who return64%
Pell Grant recipients37%
First-generation students42%
Women / men54% / 46%

Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Peru State College tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for Nebraska residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees, in-state$8,640
Housing & meals, on campus$10,016
Books & supplies$960
Total cost of attendance, in-state$22,240

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$12,000
Loan default rate6.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What Peru State College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Peru State College took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Nebraska. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$9,986$43,0404.1 years
$30–48k$9,779$42,1474.0 years
$48–75k$12,845$55,3625.3 years
$75–110k$12,313$53,0695.0 years
$110k+$13,450$57,9695.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (27% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($47,071) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NE (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,522 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in Nebraska for your income →

Peru State College majors, earnings & careers

Peru State College offers 21 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Education · 4
  • Humanities & Languages · 4
  • Science & Math · 4
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
  • Business & Finance · 1
  • Health & Medicine · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Peru State College

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Computer and Information Sciences$64,278—
Business Administration$57,519$25,815
Criminal Justice$50,150$27,367
Psychology$45,096$25,716
Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,850$26,117
Quick list of all 21 majors
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biological and Physical Sciences—
  • Biology—
  • Business Administration$57,519
  • Computer and Information Sciences$64,278
  • Criminal Justice$50,150
  • Education—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,850
  • Education (Subject Teaching)—
  • English—
  • Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
  • History—
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Mathematics—
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
  • Music—
  • Psychology$45,096
  • Social Sciences—
  • Special Education—
  • Studio Art—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Business Administration → Management analyst

$75,360
Nebraska
$101,860
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Criminal Justice → Police officer

$74,620
Nebraska
$76,210
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Peru

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$775/mo

2 bedrooms $1,014.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
35° / 87°

January and July average highs. 35 inches of rain a year, 30 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Very Low

No hazard rated high.

FEMA National Risk Index, Nemaha County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)1,638
First-year students from Nebraska56%
Next most common home statesMissouri, Kansas, Iowa
AthleticsNAIA Division II · 9 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2499% bachelor's · 1% certificates
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyWhite 66% · Black 14% · Hispanic 10% · Two or more 5%International 2%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Nemaha County at a glance

Population7,046
Median household income$60,924
Adults with a bachelor's degree29%
Median age39

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Peru State College with similar schools

Similar public colleges in Nebraska by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Peru State College—$11,63238%$47,071This school
University of Nebraska Medical Center———$76,833
Chadron State College—$12,54950%$47,002
Wayne State College—$15,36052%$47,075
University of Nebraska at Kearney89%$16,24258%$50,105

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Common questions about Peru State College

How much does Peru State College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,240 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $11,632 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,986 and families earning $110k+ pay $13,450.

How much do Peru State College graduates earn?

Former Peru State College students earn a median $47,071 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Peru State College graduation rate?

38% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 64% return for their second year.

How long does a Peru State College degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Peru State College costs about $55,362 after grants ($12,845 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,071 ten years after starting, $10,522 more than high school graduates in Nebraska ($36,549), so the cost is repaid in 5.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Peru State College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/peru-state-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).