University of Nebraska-Lincoln
PublicLincoln, NE
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln was founded on February 15, 1869, as the state's land-grant institution. According to the university, it was among the first institutions west of the Mississippi River to award a doctoral degree, granting its first in 1896. UNL is home to distinctive academic units such as the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management and the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.
Admissions
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from University of Nebraska-Lincoln's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 7% submitted SAT scores, 81% submitted ACT scores.
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $20,070 more per year in tuition and fees (2.7x the in-state rate).
Based on 15 credits a semester. Business, architecture and engineering courses cost more.
Tuition & fees are University of Nebraska-Lincoln's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against University of Nebraska-Lincoln's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow University of Nebraska-Lincoln weighs your application
From University of Nebraska-Lincoln's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what University of Nebraska-Lincoln weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What is University of Nebraska-Lincoln's acceptance rate?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, NE admits approximately 87% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What SAT score do I need for University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
Per University of Nebraska-Lincoln's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1070–1310 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
What ACT score do I need for University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
Per University of Nebraska-Lincoln's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 21–28 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
How much does University of Nebraska-Lincoln cost?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln's total cost of attendance is reported at $26,697 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
What is out-of-state tuition at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
For 2026-27, University of Nebraska-Lincoln's tuition and required fees are $31,542 for out-of-state students and $11,472 for in-state students -- $20,070 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
Does University of Nebraska-Lincoln require students to live on campus?
No -- University of Nebraska-Lincoln doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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