Regional university
#4 Best colleges for history in NebraskaWayne State College
Wayne, NE · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $15,360 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In Nebraska
- Best colleges for history in Nebraska#4 of 15
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Nebraska#4 of 14
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Nebraska#4 of 14
- Best colleges for business in Nebraska#5 of 17
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Nebraska#4 of 13
- Best colleges for music in Nebraska#4 of 13
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.52%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$7,016
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $22,565 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 3,934 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 43% · Women 57% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 34% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 17% |
| Total students | 4,807 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $15,360 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $22,565 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 52% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 51% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 49% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 69% |
| First-year retention | 72% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $47,075 |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 26% |
Value: Very good · Top 35% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Industrial technology | |
| Information science | |
| Biology | |
| Business administration | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Secondary education | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Teacher education | |
| Clinical and counseling psychology | |
| Design | |
| Family and human development |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians, Chemistry, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, English, Fine arts, Geography, Health sciences, History, Information technology, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Other family and consumer sciences/human sciences, Political science, Pre-health, Psychology, Romance languages, Social sciences, Sociology, Special education, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Education | |
| Business | |
| Criminal justice and security | |
| Psychology | |
| Engineering technologies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 7% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 7% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $10,142 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 19 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 50%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $8,126Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 39% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field (SUX)About 34 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 6,1212020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | OmahaAbout 84 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 21°F1991–2020 normal, from WAYNE, NE US, about 0 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 74°F1991–2020 normal, from WAYNE, NE US, about 0 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 1.29 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.21 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Wayne State College’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 42% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Wayne State College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $15,360 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How do Wayne State College’s graduates do?
- 52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $47,075; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 181783
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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