University of Nebraska–Lincoln

No, Nebraska is not hard to get into. UNL admitted about 88% of applicants in the most recent cycle, taking roughly 16,400 of 18,600 applicants. Admission turns almost entirely on your academic record, so meeting the GPA and course-rigor bar gives most in-state and out-of-state applicants a strong chance.

Aim for a high-B average or better. Enrolled first-years averaged a 3.54 high school GPA, and roughly half of UNL's class carried a 3.5 or above. There is no published hard cutoff, but academic GPA, class rank, and the rigor of your courses are the factors UNL weighs most, so strong grades in a solid schedule matter more than anything else in your file.

Nebraska is test-optional, so scores are not required. Among enrolled first-years who submitted, the middle 50% scored 21–28 on the ACT and 1070–1310 on the SAT. A 25 ACT or 1200 SAT lands you right around the median of admitted students; the ACT is far more common here, with 81% of the class submitting ACT scores versus 7% SAT.

Strong, because UNL does not consider state residency in admission. Nebraska lists both state residency and geographical residence as 'not considered,' so out-of-state applicants are judged on the same academic standards as Nebraska residents — GPA, course rigor, class rank, and optional test scores. The main difference shows up in price, not your odds of admission.

Out-of-state tuition and required fees run about $30,330 a year, compared with roughly $11,100 for Nebraska residents. UNL is generous with aid: about 53% of first-years receive need-based grants averaging near $11,938, the university meets about 79% of demonstrated need, and admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships that narrow the resident-vs-nonresident gap.

No. Nebraska's Common Data Set lists the application essay, recommendations, and extracurricular activities as 'not considered,' so UNL admits on academic credentials alone. If you also apply to schools that do read essays, a specific, well-revised essay still matters there — but it carries no weight in a UNL admission decision.

Business and marketing is the largest field at about 22% of bachelor's degrees, followed by engineering at 10% and communication and journalism at 8%. As a land-grant flagship, UNL is also known for agriculture and natural resources, education, and the biological sciences, which round out its most-awarded programs.

Nebraska is a Big Ten public research university and the state's flagship, with particular strength in agriculture, engineering, and journalism. It retains about 86% of first-years into year two and graduates roughly 69% within six years, and its combination of low resident tuition and automatic merit scholarships makes it one of the better values among Midwestern flagships.