Best-Value Colleges in Nebraska
7 Nebraska 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Nebraska is Clarkson College, Omaha — a net price of $19,241 against $64,876 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 3.4×, with a 75% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clarkson College Omaha, NE | $19,241 | $64,876 | 3.4× | 75% | $16,104 |
| 2 | College of Saint Mary Omaha, NE | $16,590 | $54,338 | 3.3× | 59% | $24,510 |
| 3 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE | $17,747 | $56,887 | 3.2× | 66% | $10,434 |
| 4 | Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE | $18,327 | $56,405 | 3.1× | 69% | $43,572 |
| 5 | Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health Omaha, NE | $21,863 | $65,071 | 3.0× | 67% | $17,885 |
| 6 | Bryan College of Health Sciences Lincoln, NE | $26,919 | $70,845 | 2.6× | 75% | $20,640 |
| 7 | Creighton University Omaha, NE | $31,568 | $73,911 | 2.3× | 81% | $48,856 |
How we ranked this
From every Nebraska four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Nebraska?+
Clarkson College in Omaha has the highest return on investment among Nebraska 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $19,241 against $64,876 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 3.4× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 75% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Nebraska four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
Keep exploring
Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.