More selective than 14% of Nebraska colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,808. College Scorecard.
Higher than 61% of Nebraska colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 21% of Nebraska colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UNK acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,253 applicants, University of Nebraska at Kearney admitted 6,222 and 910 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 905–1125 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UNK 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)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What UNK costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Nebraska at Kearney took 4.4 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 income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,066 | $57,752 | 4.3 years |
| $30–48k | $13,350 | $59,007 | 4.4 years |
| $48–75k | $14,547 | $64,298 | 4.7 years |
| $75–110k | $16,703 | $73,827 | 5.4 years |
| $110k+ | $20,664 | $91,335 | 6.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (38% 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 ($50,105) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NE (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,556 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.
UNK majors, earnings & careers
University of Nebraska at Kearney offers 39 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at UNK
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $77,034 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $67,151 | $19,000 |
| Business Administration | $64,684 | $20,199 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $61,988 | — |
| Writing | $61,941 | — |
| Agricultural Business | $61,438 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $55,356 | $19,250 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $54,563 | $23,500 |
Quick list of all 39 majors
- Agricultural Business$61,438
- Air Transportation—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$77,034
- Biology$67,151
- Business Administration$64,684
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$61,988
- Criminal Justice$55,356
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$41,922
- Education (Subject Teaching)$44,687
- English$41,180
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$49,584
- Geography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History$47,590
- International Relations—
- Journalism$51,659
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$52,669
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$47,600
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$54,563
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$50,360
- Psychology (Research)—
- Social Work$53,203
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$53,348
- Studio Art$49,521
- Theatre—
- Writing$61,941
— 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
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
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Kearney
2 bedrooms $1,097.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 26 inches of rain a year, 22 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Buffalo County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Buffalo County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UNK with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Nebraska by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska at Kearney | 89% | $16,242 | 58% | $50,105 | This school |
| Wayne State College | — | $15,360 | 52% | $47,075 | |
| Chadron State College | — | $12,549 | 50% | $47,002 | |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | — | — | — | $76,833 | |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha | 87% | $13,441 | 47% | $53,909 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Nebraska at Kearney would cost you $882 more per year than Wayne State College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Nebraska at Kearney, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,312).
- University of Nebraska at Kearney gives aided families $2,361 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Nebraska resident | UNK | WSC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,676 | $8,216 | +$460 |
| Books & supplies | $770 | $1,488 | −$718 |
| Housing & meals | $11,936 | $9,624 | +$2,312 |
| Personal & travel | $5,078 | $3,690 | +$1,388 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$652 | −$453 | −$199 |
| Sticker price | $25,808 | $22,565 | +$3,243 |
| Average grants | −$9,566 | −$7,205 | −$2,361 |
| You pay | $16,242 | $15,360 | +$882 |
“+” means UNK costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about UNK
What is the UNK acceptance rate?
University of Nebraska at Kearney accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,222 of 7,253 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 905–1125 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
How much does University of Nebraska at Kearney cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,808 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,242 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,066 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,664.
How much do UNK graduates earn?
Former University of Nebraska at Kearney students earn a median $50,105 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UNK graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
How long does a UNK degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Nebraska at Kearney costs about $64,298 after grants ($14,547 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $50,105 ten years after starting, $13,556 more than high school graduates in Nebraska ($36,549), so the cost is repaid in 4.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is UNK the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing UNK with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “University of Nebraska at Kearney: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-nebraska-at-kearney (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).