Best Value Degrees in Nebraska (2026)

Top 100 of 207 programs in Nebraska · Updated 2026

The best college programs in Nebraska, ranked by overall value. We scored 207 programs across Nebraska schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $57,238/yr in graduate earnings.

Why UNL's Tech Programs Dominate Nebraska

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's top rankings aren't an accident; they're the product of its role as the state's economic and research engine. As a Big Ten research institution with facilities like the Nebraska Innovation Campus, UNL has deep ties to the region's employers. This creates a direct pipeline for graduates into high-paying roles, reflected in the $78,017/year starting salary for its #1 Computer Science program. For Nebraska students, UNL is the clearest path from a classroom to a high-tech career.

The Underdog: How Bellevue University Cracked the Top 20

It's surprising to see a smaller private school like Bellevue University land seven programs in the top 20, but its model explains why. Bellevue specializes in career-focused education for working adults, meaning its curriculum is built to meet the immediate needs of Omaha-area employers. This practical approach delivers impressive results, with graduates from its #5 marketing program earning $75,543/year. Bellevue proves that a tight focus on job-market demand can produce value that rivals larger public universities.

High AI Risk Isn't a Red Flag—It's a New Job Description

Many top programs in tech and business show high AI risk (50-60%+), but this doesn't mean your job is obsolete. It means the job is changing. AI is automating the routine, entry-level tasks like basic coding and data analysis. For graduates, this raises the bar. Your value will no longer be in doing the repetitive work, but in designing the systems, critically judging AI outputs, and making the strategic decisions that algorithms can't. This degree is your ticket to managing the machines, not being replaced by them.

Public Powerhouses vs. Private Specialists: Two Paths to Value

The top 20 is split evenly between public and private schools, but they offer different kinds of value. Public institutions like UNO deliver the highest ROI—its Computer Science program boasts a 29.7x return thanks to low tuition and high salaries. Private colleges, meanwhile, excel as specialists. Clarkson College (#10) and Nebraska Methodist (#17) are premier nursing schools with strong earnings, but their higher tuition ($60,000+) means a lower financial return. Your best choice depends on whether you prioritize maximum ROI or a specialized, hands-on program.

Programs in NE

207

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$57,238/yr

Avg DW Score

67/100

#1 Program

Information Sciences

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Top Institutions

Leading the field for Best Degrees in Nebraska

The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 100 programs below.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 89

Information Sciences

University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE · Public

University of Nebraska-Lincoln · NE · #2

$75,137/yr · 26.0x ROI

Computer Science

University of Nebraska at Omaha · NE · #3

$73,971/yr · 29.7x ROI

Computer Engineering

University of Nebraska-Lincoln · NE · #4

$82,398/yr · 25.2x ROI

The Ranking Matrix

Top Programs in Nebraska

Top 100 programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full analysis.

Sort by

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Information Sciences University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	89 82–90	$78,017/yr	Very High	24.7x
2	Management Science University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	89 85–90	$75,137/yr	Very High	26.0x
3	Computer Science University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	87 80–89	$73,971/yr	Very High	29.7x
4	Computer Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	85 79–87	$82,398/yr	Very High	25.2x
5	Sales & Marketing Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	83 80–84	$75,543/yr	High	24.4x
6	Construction Management University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	83 80–84	$76,132/yr	High	24.8x
7	Information Sciences Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	82 75–82	$60,188/yr	Very High	20.7x
8	IT Management Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	81 76–83	$67,678/yr	Very High	20.6x
9	Business Administration Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	80 74–81	$60,931/yr	High	21.7x
10	Nursing Clarkson College · Omaha, NE	80 77–80	$73,835/yr	High	11.6x
11	Finance University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	80 77–81	$55,979/yr	Very High	18.1x
12	Computer Programming Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	79 71–81	$69,254/yr	Very High	21.3x
13	Accounting University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	79 75–80	$54,785/yr	Very High	17.3x
14	Information Science University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	78 72–79	$58,757/yr	Very High	22.0x
15	Business Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	77 72–77	$58,128/yr	High	18.5x
16	Accounting Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	77 74–79	$53,819/yr	Very High	17.8x
17	Nursing Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health · Omaha, NE	76 73–75	$70,680/yr	High	8.9x
18	Nursing Bryan College of Health Sciences · Lincoln, NE	75 72–75	$73,124/yr	High	7.9x
19	Business Administration University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	75 69–76	$48,861/yr	High	20.6x
20	IT Management University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	75 69–77	$79,671/yr	Very High	22.8x
21	Electrical Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	75 71–76	$78,101/yr	Very High	23.2x
22	Nursing Union Adventist University · Lincoln, NE	75 72–74	$75,244/yr	High	5.9x
23	Business Administration University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	74 68–75	$50,069/yr	High	19.2x
24	Nursing Nebraska Wesleyan University · Lincoln, NE	74 71–73	$76,333/yr	High	4.0x
25	Chemical Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	74 71–75	$79,603/yr	High	21.0x
26	Nursing College of Saint Mary · Omaha, NE	74 71–74	$72,738/yr	High	6.8x
27	Management Information Systems Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	73 67–75	$67,262/yr	Very High	28.0x
28	Nursing Doane University · Crete, NE	73 70–73	$80,849/yr	High	4.0x
29	Civil Engineering University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	73 72–75	$68,574/yr	High	23.8x
30	Electrical Engineering University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	73 70–74	$72,389/yr	Very High	24.3x
31	Health and Medical Administrative Services Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	72 66–73	$52,634/yr	High	15.6x
32	Nursing Creighton University · Omaha, NE	72 69–72	$77,587/yr	High	3.3x
33	Accounting Creighton University · Omaha, NE	72 69–74	$68,070/yr	Very High	4.0x
34	Civil Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	72 70–73	$70,542/yr	High	18.7x
35	Mechanical Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	72 70–74	$71,318/yr	Very High	19.8x
36	Finance Creighton University · Omaha, NE	71 69–73	$60,605/yr	Very High	4.0x
37	Agricultural Business University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	71 64–72	$61,152/yr	High	17.9x
38	Information Sciences University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	71 65–72	$60,771/yr	Very High	17.3x
39	Mathematics University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	71 66–72	$58,995/yr	Very High	21.1x
40	Human Resources Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	70 64–70	$53,007/yr	High	18.7x
41	Business Administration University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	70 64–70	$47,663/yr	High	14.4x
42	Nursing Midland University · Fremont, NE	69 66–69	$74,515/yr	High	3.3x
43	Construction Engineering Technologies University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	69 66–71	$71,797/yr	Very High	21.7x
44	Business Operations Support Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	68 54–69	$66,401/yr	Very High	17.7x
45	Subject-Area Teaching Chadron State College · Chadron, NE	68 70–69	$46,824/yr	High	15.0x
46	Business Economics University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	67 63–68	$55,404/yr	Very High	16.4x
47	Business Administration Peru State College · Peru, NE	67 61–67	$42,847/yr	High	16.5x
48	Business Administration Chadron State College · Chadron, NE	66 61–67	$43,124/yr	High	16.3x
49	Economics Creighton University · Omaha, NE	66 62–67	$54,827/yr	Very High	4.1x
50	Nursing University of Nebraska Medical Center · Omaha, NE	66 63–65	$73,324/yr	High	—
51	Agricultural Business University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	66 59–67	$53,229/yr	High	13.9x
52	International Business University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	66 60–67	$47,534/yr	Very High	13.9x
53	Marketing University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	66 60–67	$51,354/yr	Very High	15.0x
54	Biological Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	65 63–66	$61,755/yr	High	16.7x
55	Business Administration Wayne State College · Wayne, NE	65 60–66	$43,490/yr	High	15.8x
56	Accounting Doane University · Crete, NE	64 61–66	$52,160/yr	Very High	3.5x
57	Subject-Area Teaching University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	64 66–66	$45,786/yr	High	11.8x
58	Information Science Wayne State College · Wayne, NE	64 57–64	$49,981/yr	Very High	14.7x
59	Subject-Area Teaching University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	63 67–64	$42,001/yr	High	14.4x
60	Subject-Area Teaching Wayne State College · Wayne, NE	63 67–64	$42,589/yr	High	14.4x
61	Allied Health Professions Clarkson College · Omaha, NE	62 62–62	$61,222/yr	Moderate	9.3x
62	Management Science Creighton University · Omaha, NE	62 58–62	$65,365/yr	Very High	2.5x
63	Air Transportation University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	62 61–62	$42,837/yr	Moderate	27.9x
64	Horticulture University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	62 59–63	$46,289/yr	Moderate	13.0x
65	Mathematics University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	62 59–63	$43,225/yr	Very High	17.2x
66	Business Administration Creighton University · Omaha, NE	61 55–61	$47,427/yr	High	3.2x
67	Information Sciences Doane University · Crete, NE	61 55–62	$63,451/yr	Very High	2.9x
68	Agricultural Mechanization University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	61 58–61	$59,052/yr	Moderate	17.5x
69	Criminal Justice University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	61 51–62	$42,139/yr	Moderate	13.2x
70	Business Concordia University-Nebraska · Seward, NE	60 55–60	$51,159/yr	High	3.3x
71	Business Nebraska Wesleyan University · Lincoln, NE	60 55–61	$49,372/yr	High	3.3x
72	Accounting Nebraska Wesleyan University · Lincoln, NE	60 57–62	$60,923/yr	Very High	2.7x
73	Criminal Justice University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	59 49–60	$38,756/yr	Moderate	14.8x
74	Teacher Education University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	59 65–60	$44,011/yr	High	10.7x
75	Agricultural Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	59 57–59	$73,907/yr	High	17.3x
76	Criminal Justice Peru State College · Peru, NE	59 49–60	$38,953/yr	Moderate	15.0x
77	Teacher Education Wayne State College · Wayne, NE	59 67–60	$41,322/yr	High	13.6x
78	Marketing Creighton University · Omaha, NE	58 51–59	$56,641/yr	Very High	3.2x
79	Criminal Justice University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	58 47–58	$40,128/yr	Moderate	14.0x
80	Teacher Education University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE	58 66–59	$41,326/yr	High	12.9x
81	Allied Health Professions University of Nebraska Medical Center · Omaha, NE	58 56–57	$85,964/yr	Moderate	—
82	Public Relations & Advertising University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	58 57–59	$42,168/yr	High	13.5x
83	Biology Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	57 55–58	$40,741/yr	High	17.7x
84	Teacher Education Chadron State College · Chadron, NE	57 66–58	$40,320/yr	High	13.4x
85	Education Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	56 54–57	$68,730/yr	High	18.3x
86	Plant Sciences University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	56 50–56	$47,716/yr	High	13.5x
87	Nutrition & Food Science University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	56 56–57	$33,728/yr	High	14.8x
88	Hospitality Management University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	56 48–57	$39,689/yr	High	12.5x
89	Criminal Justice Wayne State College · Wayne, NE	56 46–56	$41,869/yr	Moderate	13.2x
90	Allied Health Professions Bryan College of Health Sciences · Lincoln, NE	55 54–54	$60,447/yr	Moderate	6.5x
91	Computer Science Creighton University · Omaha, NE	55 48–56	$51,625/yr	Very High	1.7x
92	History University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	55 52–56	$39,340/yr	High	14.9x
93	Political Science University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	55 53–56	$36,364/yr	Very High	14.8x
94	Business Administration Union Adventist University · Lincoln, NE	55 49–55	$44,045/yr	High	4.1x
95	Marketing Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	54 48–55	$45,095/yr	Very High	11.7x
96	Teacher Education University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE	54 64–54	$38,853/yr	High	12.5x
97	Industrial Production Technology Wayne State College · Wayne, NE	54 54–55	$54,600/yr	Moderate	16.1x
98	Security Science and Technology Bellevue University · Bellevue, NE	53 40–53	$42,104/yr	High	10.8x
99	Health and Medical Administrative Services Creighton University · Omaha, NE	53 48–54	$46,084/yr	High	2.3x
100	Business Administration Hastings College · Hastings, NE	53 47–54	$47,525/yr	High	2.3x

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is the best college program in Nebraska?

By DegreeOutlook Score, Information Sciences at University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranks #1 in Nebraska with a score of 89/100 and graduate earnings of $78,017/yr.

How many college programs are in Nebraska?

Our database includes 207 programs across Nebraska colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.