College Scorecard
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $22,565. College Scorecard.
Higher than 39% of Nebraska colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 16% of Nebraska colleges we cover and 32% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
WSC acceptance rate & admissions
Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
WSC 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 WSC costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Wayne 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 income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,844 | $55,229 | 5.2 years |
| $30–48k | $11,698 | $50,301 | 4.8 years |
| $48–75k | $13,851 | $59,559 | 5.7 years |
| $75–110k | $16,841 | $72,416 | 6.9 years |
| $110k+ | $18,905 | $81,292 | 7.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% 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 ($47,075) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NE (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,526 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.
WSC majors, earnings & careers
Wayne State College offers 35 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 · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at WSC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $68,431 | $25,000 |
| Information Science / Studies | $59,871 | — |
| Biology | $58,609 | $18,761 |
| Business Administration | $57,178 | $18,250 |
| Criminal Justice | $55,485 | $25,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $48,581 | $25,957 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $47,746 | $25,043 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $43,369 | $19,500 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Biology$58,609
- Biology / Biotechnology Technologies / Technicians—
- Business Administration$57,178
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$55,485
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,369
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,581
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences, Other—
- Geography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$39,701
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$29,395
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$68,431
- Information Science / Studies$59,871
- Information Technology—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,746
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$41,391
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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
Criminal Justice → Police officer
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 Wayne
2 bedrooms $1,014.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 27 inches of rain a year, 32 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Wayne County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Wayne County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare WSC 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne State College | — | $15,360 | 52% | $47,075 | This school |
| Chadron State College | — | $12,549 | 50% | $47,002 | |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | — | — | — | $76,833 | |
| Peru State College | — | $11,632 | 38% | $47,071 | |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney | 89% | $16,242 | 58% | $50,105 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Wayne State College would cost you $2,811 more per year than Chadron State College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Wayne State College, mostly from more Chadron State College students living at home, which lowers its average (+$1,765).
- Chadron State College gives aided families $1,378 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Nebraska resident | WSC | Chadron State College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,216 | $8,290 | −$74 |
| Books & supplies | $1,488 | $1,300 | +$188 |
| Housing & meals | $9,624 | $9,248 | +$376 |
| Personal & travel | $3,690 | $4,512 | −$822 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$453 | −$2,218 | +$1,765 |
| Sticker price | $22,565 | $21,132 | +$1,433 |
| Average grants | −$7,205 | −$8,583 | +$1,378 |
| You pay | $15,360 | $12,549 | +$2,811 |
“+” means WSC 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 WSC
How much does Wayne State College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,565 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,360 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,844 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,905.
How much do WSC graduates earn?
Former Wayne State College students earn a median $47,075 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the WSC graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a WSC degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Wayne State College costs about $59,559 after grants ($13,851 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,075 ten years after starting, $10,526 more than high school graduates in Nebraska ($36,549), so the cost is repaid in 5.7 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: “Wayne State College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/wayne-state-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).