University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Nebraska's Big Ten land-grant university, with guaranteed admission for students who meet clear published criteria.
- Acceptance rate
- 88%
- First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 24,371
- 19,787 undergraduates
- International
- 2%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $31,942
- 2026-27
About Nebraska
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln was chartered on February 15, 1869 as Nebraska's land-grant university. It is a Carnegie R1 research university and a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Academic Alliance. In fall 2025 it enrolled 24,371 students, 19,787 of them undergraduates, across City Campus near downtown Lincoln, the agricultural East Campus and Nebraska Innovation Campus.
Nine colleges offer more than 150 undergraduate majors, from agricultural sciences and natural resources to architecture, business, engineering, journalism and the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. The university set up the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory, and the discipline of ecology was born here. Undergraduates can join faculty research through UCARE, and selective programs such as the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management and the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts sit alongside a large Honors Program.
Admission is transparent: students who complete the 16 required core courses and meet one performance standard, such as a 3.0 GPA or an ACT of 20, are guaranteed admission, and SAT or ACT scores are optional. Nebraska admitted about 88% of first-year applicants for fall 2025. It suits students who want a big-school Big Ten experience with clear rules and a relatively low cost.
Literis Dedicata et Omnibus Artibus
“Dedicated to letters and all the arts” — university motto
Why students choose Nebraska
Guaranteed admission if you meet the core course requirements and one performance standard (3.0 GPA, ACT 20, SAT 1040 or top half of your class).
Big Ten athletics centred on Memorial Stadium, where Cornhusker football has sold out every game since 1962.
Specialist programs such as the Raikes School of Computer Science and Management, the Nebraska Business Honors Academy and the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.
A published 2026-27 international cost estimate of about $53,922 including health insurance, with automatic scholarship review for every admitted first-year.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
16,372 admitted from 18,648 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
4,734 first-years enrolled in fall 2025. Of 1,006 international first-year applicants, 530 were admitted and 64 enrolled. Admission is guaranteed for applicants who complete the 16 core course units and meet at least one performance requirement; others are reviewed by an admissions committee. Some colleges (Architecture, Engineering) have higher entry standards, and students who miss them can start in the Explore Center.
Typical entry requirements
| U.S. high school core courses (16 units) | 4 English, 4 math (Algebra I and II, Geometry and one higher course), 3 natural science (one with lab), 3 social science and 2 units of the same world language, plus one of: 3.0 GPA, ACT 20, SAT 1040 or top half of class |
|---|---|
| College of Engineering | Additional 4 units of math through pre-calculus or calculus, chemistry and physics, plus ACT 24, SAT 1180, ACT Math 24, SAT Math 580 or a 3.5 GPA |
| International secondary education | Final signed and stamped secondary transcript and diploma, core coursework in upper-level math (4 units), natural sciences (3), social sciences (3) and English and native language (4), and proof of English proficiency |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 79 General admission: TOEFL iBT 79 with 18 in each section (4.0 on the new score scale), IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or Duolingo 110 with subscores of 105; alternatives include ACT English 20, SAT Reading and Writing 520 or Nebraska's own English Language Test. Journalism and Mass Communications requires TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7.0. |
Deadlines
- Priority deadline (scholarship consideration) Non-binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Not an early action round. Apply by this date to receive scholarship award notification on February 11, 2027 (with the FAFSA filed by February 1). Also the international priority deadline.
- Honors, Raikes School and Business Honors Academy Non-binding In 40 daysNovember 15, 2026
Deadline for the Raikes School of Computer Science and Management and the Nebraska Business Honors Academy; priority deadline for the University Honors Program (final deadline February 15, 2027).
- Final application deadline Non-binding In ~7 monthsMay 1, 2027
Rolling admission. Also the enrollment deposit deadline, the international final deadline and the out-of-state scholarship materials deadline; in-state scholarship materials are due February 1, 2027.
Dates are from Nebraska's first-year and international admission pages for fall 2027 entry; the application opened August 1, 2026. Nebraska has no early action or early decision plan.
How to apply
Common App or Nebraska's own application; $45 application fee; unofficial high school transcript uploaded in MyRED; optional ACT or SAT scores; no essay or recommendations required. Admitted students can complete the Supplemental Scholarship Application in MyRED, and the Honors Program, Raikes School and Business Honors Academy have their own applications.
What admissions looks for
- Completion of the 16 required core course units, which is the foundation of guaranteed admission.
- At least one performance marker: a 3.0 cumulative GPA, ACT 20, SAT 1040 or a top-half class rank.
- Rigor of your high school record, class rank, GPA and (if submitted) test scores, all rated important.
- For Engineering and Architecture, stronger math and science preparation and higher GPA or test benchmarks.
Tips for applying to Nebraska
- 1 Apply by November 1, 2026 and file the FAFSA by February 1 to get a full scholarship and aid offer on February 11.
- 2 Send an ACT or SAT score if it helps: Nebraska awards the best scholarship based on your GPA alone or your GPA plus test score, and some scholarships require a score.
- 3 Complete the Supplemental Scholarship Application in MyRED by February 1 to be considered for departmental, leadership and service awards.
- 4 If you are aiming for the Raikes School or the Business Honors Academy, their applications close November 15, 2026.
- 5 Nebraska residents from families earning $65,000 or less should file the FAFSA before May 1 to be considered for Nebraska Promise.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
All admitted first-years are considered automatically for academic scholarships, and a Supplemental Scholarship Application adds departmental, leadership and service awards. Nebraska Promise covers full tuition for Nebraska residents with family income of $65,000 or less or who are Pell-eligible. Need-based aid is for domestic students via the FAFSA; international students can receive institutional scholarships (120 did in the CDS year, averaging $10,391).
- $28,874 (in-state), $48,944 (out-of-state), $53,922 (international, incl. health insurance)
- 2026-27 estimated total cost
- 79%
- Average percentage of need met, first-years (CDS 2025-26)
- $18,668
- Average financial aid package, first-years awarded aid (CDS 2025-26)
- 120 students, averaging $10,391
- International undergraduates receiving institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
- Tuition-free for Nebraska residents with family AGI of $65,000 or less or Pell eligibility
- Nebraska Promise
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management
A selective honors program combining computer science and business, with its own application due November 15.
Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts
Named for alumnus Johnny Carson, it offers a BFA in Emerging Media Arts within the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Rooted in the 1877 School of Agriculture and based on East Campus, it reflects Nebraska's land-grant mission.
College of Engineering
Direct entry requires stronger math and science preparation (for example ACT 24 or a 3.5 GPA); others can start via the Explore Center.
Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE)
Pairs undergraduates with faculty on independent research and creative projects.
Research
- Carnegie R1 university; one of the first institutions west of the Mississippi to award doctorates, the first in 1896.
- Home of the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory and the birthplace of ecology as a discipline.
- Nebraska Innovation Campus, opened in 2014 on the 249-acre former state fairgrounds, hosts more than 40 public and private research partners.
- The International Quilt Museum and the Sheldon Museum of Art, with a major collection of 20th-century American art, are on campus.
Schools & faculties
- College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- College of Architecture
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business
- College of Education and Human Sciences
- College of Engineering
- Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts
- College of Journalism and Mass Communications
- College of Law
- Graduate College
College Scorecard: median earnings of $56,887 ten years after entry and $47,692 six years after entry for federally aided students.
Student life
Nebraska is a classic Big Ten campus: 91% of first-years live in university housing, in traditional halls such as Selleck Quadrangle, Abel and Harper or in suite and apartment-style halls on City Campus and East Campus. Greek life is big, with 30% of undergraduate men in fraternities and 37% of women in sororities. Football Saturdays at Memorial Stadium, where every game has sold out since 1962, shape the fall, and Big Red Welcome opens each year with a tunnel walk and a street festival.
- 24 varsity teams in the Big Ten Conference; Nebraska football has five national championships.
- Big Red Welcome for new students includes a Tunnel Walk and a street festival at Memorial Stadium.
- Around a third of undergraduates join fraternities (30% of men) or sororities (37% of women).
- The Lied Center for Performing Arts and the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center are on City Campus.
Housing. Most first-years live on campus (91% in fall 2025); submitting the housing application in MyRED by April 1 gets a room assignment notification on May 19.
Location
Lincoln is Nebraska's capital city. City Campus grew from four blocks laid out in the northeast corner of downtown Lincoln, so the city centre is on the doorstep, while East Campus holds agricultural sciences and Nebraska Innovation Campus lies just northeast of City Campus on the former state fairgrounds. Lincoln is a mid-sized college town, and on football Saturdays Memorial Stadium becomes the centre of the city.
Nearest airport: Lincoln Airport (LNK); Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA) for more routes
Notable alumni
- WB Warren BuffettInvestor and former CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1951
- JC Johnny CarsonHost of The Tonight Show for 30 years; BA
- WC Willa CatherPulitzer Prize-winning novelist of the Great Plains; graduate
- GB George BeadleNobel Prize-winning geneticist (1958); BS 1926 from the College of Agriculture
- HE Harold Eugene EdgertonMIT pioneer of high-speed stroboscopic photography; BS in electrical engineering 1925
- TS Ted SorensenSpeechwriter and adviser to President John F. Kennedy; bachelor's and law degrees
- JJ John J. PershingGeneral of the Armies in World War I; LLB 1893
- EW Evan WilliamsCo-founder and former CEO of Twitter; attended for a year and a half (did not graduate)
Frequently asked questions
What is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's acceptance rate?
Nebraska admitted 16,372 of 18,648 first-year applicants for fall 2025, about 88%. Applicants who meet the core course requirements and one performance standard are guaranteed admission.
Does Nebraska require the SAT or ACT?
No. Test scores are optional for fall 2027 admission, but Nebraska encourages them for full scholarship consideration, and some scholarships and the Colleges of Engineering and Architecture use them.
When should I apply to Nebraska for fall 2027?
The application opened August 1, 2026. Apply by the November 1, 2026 priority deadline to get scholarship offers on February 11, 2027; the final deadline is May 1, 2027.
How much does Nebraska cost for international students?
For 2026-27, Nebraska estimates $31,942 in tuition and fees and a total of about $53,922 including housing, food and health insurance. Nebraska residents pay about $11,472 in tuition and fees.
What English test score does Nebraska need?
For general admission: TOEFL iBT 79 (18 per section), IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0) or Duolingo 110. Journalism and Mass Communications asks for TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7.0.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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