Online and On-Campus Colleges in NEBRASKA

Creighton University was founded in 1878 with just 120 students, and today its student body of more than 8,000 makes it one of the largest Jesuit Catholic institutions in the Midwest. Degrees at Creighton are offered through nine academic schools and colleges, including schools of medicine, law and dentistry with more than 100 years of history behind them.

A total of more than 200 degree programs are available to Creighton students. The catalog includes over 90 programs for graduate students, 20 professional programs and close to 120 undergraduate majors, minors and certificates.

Creighton is located in Omaha, which plays host to the range of amenities you might expect from an urban area of nearly 450,000 people. Omaha residents have access to shopping, dining, nightlife, outdoor recreation and a variety of arts, live music and other cultural events.

Founded nearly 150 years ago in 1869, the Lincoln campus of the University of Nebraska is the system's flagship school. Nearly 26,000 students were working toward degrees at UNL in 2016, and the overall trend shows enrollment on the rise -- the institution has grown by more than 4,000 students since 2005.

UNL is one of the best colleges and universities in Nebraska for online graduate degrees, thanks to more than two dozen master's degree programs and nearly 20 graduate certificates available in the virtual classroom. Blended and hybrid degree programs are also available, for students who aren't ready to leave behind the traditional classroom altogether.

More than 150 undergraduate majors are available at UNL. If you're undecided, you can visit a specialized advising hub called the Explore Center to help you find the degree plan that fits you best.

The University of Nebraska's Omaha location is a medium-sized public university with a metropolitan feel. Just shy of 11,000 full-time students attend regular classes at UNO, where more than 200 programs of study are offered through six academic colleges.

Affordability is one of the top stats at UNO. The national average cost for annual tuition and fees at public four-year universities was $9,970 in 2017, according to the College Board. In-state undergraduates here paid about 70 percent of that average -- right around $7,000 -- for a 24-credit year of on-campus study.

UNO also seems set to join the best online schools in Nebraska, nearly doubling its online programs since 2015. Undergraduates can pursue Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees, as well as a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies (B.M.S.) degree with more than a dozen available concentrations.

The smallest general-purpose campus in the University of Nebraska system lies in Kearney, just north of the Platte River. Fewer than 6,700 students were enrolled here in 2017, which can be an encouraging statistic for students who worry that they might feel overwhelmed or anonymous at a large, bustling university.

UNK was founded in 1903 as a teacher preparation academy called Nebraska State Normal School. The first class of students was admitted two years later, and the institution grew into a comprehensive state college by the 1960s. It became part of the University of Nebraska system in 1989.

The academic catalog at UNK is sizeable, particularly for a school of its size. Students can choose among more than 170 academic majors and 20 pre-professional programs, and close to 400 online courses can bring some flexibility to your schedule.

This small public university in Wayne maintains four academic schools -- arts and humanities, business and technology, education and counseling and natural and social sciences -- and offers more than 90 programs of study for undergraduates. Partnerships with regional health care organizations and the Northeast Nebraska Teachers Academy provide opportunities for students to enhance their degree program with hands-on experience.

On top of that, WSC is one of the top online colleges in Nebraska for graduate programs in business and education. Advanced degree seekers can choose among numerous concentrations within Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) programs.

Enrollment expenses at WSC were some of the most affordable among Nebraska universities, as well. Tuition and fees here came to $6,988 in 2017 -- nearly $3,000 less than the national four-year university average.

Founded in 1887, Nebraska Wesleyan University is one of the smaller Nebraska colleges. Approximately 2,100 students attend classes at this close-knit Lincoln institution and its Omaha satellite site, where the combined student-faculty ratio is a comfortable 13:1 and the average class size is less than 20.

The core educational experience at NWU, known as the Archway Curriculum, takes a slightly unorthodox approach to cross-disciplinary learning. Students choose one or two "threads" of courses that touch on an array of academic fields and instruct them peripherally in writing, speaking, discourse or diversity.

Students hoping for some assistance with the looming specter of college debt are likely to find it here -- no fewer than 98 percent of students at NWU receive some form of financial aid, and the student loan default rate for graduates is less than half the national average.

This modest public institution features state-of-the-art learning facilities in a quiet, rural setting. Just shy of 3,000 students were enrolled at Chadron State College in 2016, with close to 80 percent of them pursuing bachelor's degrees and the remaining 600+ enrolled in graduate programs.

The town of Chadron is one of the smallest home cities among Nebraska colleges. The U.S. Census reports a population of just over 5,700 permanent residents in the northwestern Nebraska municipality, which was founded in the 1870s and today serves as the seat of Dawes County.

CSC also reported some of the most affordable tuition and fees numbers among the top schools in Nebraska, if not in the U.S. at large. In-state enrollment expenses for a 24-credit year here totaled less than $5,750 for undergraduates, and qualifying out-of-state students may be able to pay a similar rate.

Bellevue University is a medium-small institution that serves around 8,000 students annually. The city of Bellevue has a population of fewer than 55,000 residents, which makes it a great size for a college town -- large enough to provide urban amenities and recreation but small enough to provide plenty of quiet when it's time to study.

Bellevue is one of the top schools in Nebraska for accredited online degree programs, especially in terms of its undergraduate catalog. More than 50 B.A., B.S. and Bachelor of Applied Sciences (B.A.S.) study plans are available for bachelor's degree seekers, including programs in valuable and uncommon disciplines like health communication and non-profit management.

Nearly 30 master's degrees are also available online, primarily in business administration, information technology and criminal justice. An online Ph.D. in human capital management is available as well, for those who prefer online courses and plan to take their education as far as they can.

Founded shortly after the end of the U.S. Civil War, Peru State College has been educating Nebraska students for more than 150 years. It's grown quite a bit since the first 60 students enrolled in 1967, but today's student body of around 2,400 should still suit those who prefer a fairly intimate learning environment.

Resident on-campus tuition and fees at this Peru institution are less than $250 per credit hour in 2018-19, which works out to less than $6,000 in enrollment expenses for the year. Online or out-of-state students may pay a bit more, but Nebraska residents can earn their degrees here for approximately 40 percent less than the national average.

Peru State has an additional draw for nature lovers. Known as the "Campus of a Thousand Oaks," the southeast Nebraska campus is a member of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

The School of Arts and Sciences at Doane University features more than 40 areas of undergraduate study, including pre-professional programs in engineering, law, medicine, dentistry and more. Students whose academic goals reach across disciplines can work with advisors to design an interdisciplinary major that suits their needs.

The average class size at Doane is just 11 students, which allows for personalized interaction between students and professors. What's more, the Crete institution has offered a four-year graduation guarantee since 1995, and 100 percent of enrolled students were awarded some form of financial aid.

Founded in affiliation with the United Church of Christ, Doane University serves as the representative institution for the Nebraska, Kansas-Oklahoma, Rocky Mountain and South Dakota conferences of the Church. Despite its Protestant foundations, Doane welcomes all students regardless of religious affiliation.