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2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in Nebraska

Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Schools Ranked
$15,034 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$24,924 Avg Student Debt*

There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Schools in Nebraska ranking. This report analyzed 8 schools in Nebraska to see which ones offered the best value programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top Value Nursing Schools in Nebraska

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Southeast Community College Area

Lincoln, Nebraska
159 Total Awards
$3,780 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Southeast Community College Area the best value school in Nebraska for nursing students working on their degree. Southeast Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 159 degrees in 2020-2021.

Southeast Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,780 in tuition and fees each year. On average, students take out $17,221 in loans while pursuing their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $150.After graduating from Southeast Community College, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $38,034 during the early years of their career.

Southeast Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Nursing Schools in Nebraska list.

Read full report on Southeast Community College Area

#2

Central Community College

Grand Island, Nebraska
125 Total Awards
$4,590 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Central Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Nebraska. Central Community College is located in Grand Island, Nebraska and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 125 degrees to qualified students.

Central Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,590 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,096 in student loans.After graduating from Central Community College, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $35,791 during the early years of their career.

Central Community College also made our Best Nursing Schools in Nebraska list, coming in at #4.

Read full report on Central Community College

125 Total Awards
$4,680 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 8 schools in Nebraska that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. MCC is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 125 degrees in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MCC are $4,680 a year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $13,886 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from MCC, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $37,258 during the early years of their career.

Full Metropolitan Community College Report

#4

Mid-Plains Community College

North Platte, Nebraska
73 Total Awards
$4,320 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Mid-Plains Community College is a great place for nursing students who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. This small public school is located in North Platte, Nebraska, and it awarded 73 degrees in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Mid-Plains Community College are $4,320 a year. On average, students take out $14,135 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, Mid-Plains Community College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $33,959 during the early year of their career.

Full Mid-Plains Community College Report

#5

Northeast Community College

Norfolk, Nebraska
77 Total Awards
$5,010 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Northeast Community College is a great place for nursing students who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. Northeast is a public institution located in Norfolk, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 77 degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeast are $5,010 per year. On average, students take out $13,035 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, Northeast graduates make an average of $34,151 annually.

Full Northeast Community College Report

#6

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, Nebraska
64 Total Awards
$38,334 Average Tuition & Fees

Nebraska Wesleyan University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Nebraska list. Nebraska Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 64 degrees in 2020-2021.

NWU undergraduate students pay an average of $38,334 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,239 in student loans. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $534 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan. During the early years of their career, NWU graduates make an average of $45,410 annually.

NWU also took the #2 spot in our Best Nursing Schools in Nebraska rankings.

Read full report on Nebraska Wesleyan University

#7

College of Saint Mary

Omaha, Nebraska
90 Total Awards
$21,800 Average Tuition & Fees

College of Saint Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Nebraska list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.

Saint Mary undergraduate students pay an average of $21,800 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,105 in student loans. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $306 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, Saint Mary graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $49,946 during the early year of their career.

Saint Mary not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Nursing Schools in Nebraska list.

Full College of Saint Mary Report

#8

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska
412 Total Awards
$44,524 Average Tuition & Fees

Creighton University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Nebraska list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 412 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Creighton are $44,524 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $25,325 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $518.After graduating from Creighton, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $58,756 during the early years of their career.

Creighton did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Nursing Schools in Nebraska list.

Full Creighton University Report

Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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