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University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE 4,130 Undergrads 57.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$24,452
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,488
After Aid
Median Earnings
$50,105
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$16,488
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$50,105
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate57.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients35.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time88.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
85.8%
SAT Avg
1,089
SAT Reading
25th: 48052475th: 590
SAT Math
25th: 49051275th: 560
ACT Composite
25th: 182275th: 25
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$438k
+$42k
-$46k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$379k
-$18k
-$106k
Full Cost$24k/yr
+$350k
-$46k
-$134k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-178%
Full Cost$24k/yr
Never
-153%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-170%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-92%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,723
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$24,989
Earnings (5yr)
$58,876
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$18,900
Earnings (5yr)
$55,896
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$18,199
Earnings (5yr)
$71,637
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$21,970
Earnings (5yr)
$52,815
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$53,358
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (5yr)
$49,731
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$22,756
Earnings (5yr)
$42,524
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
BachCIP: 1904
Median Debt
$17,751
Earnings (5yr)
$41,817
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$13,920
Earnings (5yr)
$43,720
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,541
Earnings (5yr)
$50,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,940
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$22,602
Earnings (5yr)
$41,276
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$13,250
Earnings (5yr)
$44,063
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,195
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,149
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,300
Earnings (5yr)
$53,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,989
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,018
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$41,982
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$44,982
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$19,113
Earnings (5yr)
$51,268
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Master's Degrees
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$32,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,239
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$38,500
Earnings (5yr)
$53,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$16,150
Earnings (5yr)
$60,832
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (5yr)
$77,134
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Fine and Studio Arts
MastCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$25,237
Earnings (5yr)
$63,624
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,307
Earnings (5yr)
$62,954
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$14,388
Earnings (5yr)
$58,907
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$35,182
Earnings (5yr)
$64,976
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,341
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$17,210
Earnings (5yr)
$63,591
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Graduate Certificates
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Gr-CertCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,810
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.