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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Nebraska at Kearney Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-kearney/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-kearney/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-kearney/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-kearney/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-kearney/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does University of Nebraska at Kearney cost after financial aid?

At University of Nebraska at Kearney, aid reduces the published budget for the average aid recipient, although its [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) sits above that of comparable institutions. The published cost of attendance is $25,808.

In-state tuition and fees are $8,676, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $15,284. Room and board add $12,198.

The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,242, with average aid savings of $9,566 against the published cost. Aid covers about 37% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The peer median net price at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $14,068, so this figure is above it by $2,174. Azimuth ranks the university #314 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer-price comparison is less favorable than the affordability rank.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,242 at University of Nebraska at Kearney. That figure sits $2,174 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The affordability pillar is in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. By income band, families in the lowest band pay $13,066 on average, while those in the highest band pay $20,664.

Borrowers who complete a degree hold a median of $19,500 in federal student loans, $1,729 below the peer median of $21,229.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s are lowest for aid recipients in the lowest family-income band and higher in each subsequent band. The lowest band averages $13,066; the next averages $13,350; the middle band averages $14,547; the next-highest band averages $16,703; and the highest band averages $20,664.

Pell Grant recipients account for 36.9% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,598.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$13,066

**$30–48K**
$13,350

**$48–75K**
$14,547

**$75–110K**
$16,703

**$110K+**
$20,664

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$16,242**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid reaches furthest in the lower-income bands, where average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s sit well below the price faced by higher-income aid recipients. The published cost of attendance is $25,808, while the average net price for aid recipients is $16,242, an average sticker-to-net difference of $9,566.

Aid covers about 37% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across the income bands, average net price is $13,066 in the lowest band, $13,350 in the next band, $14,547 in the middle, $16,703 in the next-highest, and $20,664 in the highest.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,598, a difference of band averages. This pricing pattern shows larger average aid offsets for lower-income families.

The published cost of attendance is $25,808. Azimuth ranks University of Nebraska at Kearney #314 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $13,066, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $14,547, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $20,664. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,598.

Aid covers about 37% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $16,242. That is $2,174 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $19,500 in federal student loans, $1,729 below the $21,229 peer median. 82.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,457 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month. It estimates what a family might pay based on their own finances.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal debt at completion sits below the comparable-school benchmark, even though 82.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. At University of Nebraska at Kearney, borrowers who completed have median federal student loan debt of $19,500.

The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, leaving the university's median $1,729 below it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $14,457.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 45% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $19,929 per borrower. That group included 44% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $17,547.

Among graduates, 6% had private loans, with average cumulative private borrowing of $19,083.

At University of Nebraska at Kearney, graduates earn about $2,449 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sit in the 64th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Median earnings are $56,647 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings scenarios put the downside case at $43,994, the typical scenario at $56,647, and the upside case at $68,750. Median federal debt at completion is $19,500, below the $21,229 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,729.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower borrowing point in the same direction, while the observed earnings percentile is more modest.

Parent and student federal borrowing are measured separately here. For parents who used [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/), median federal borrowing was $14,457, a figure for a separate parent-borrower population.

Student borrowers had median federal student loan debt of $19,500; that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$14,457

**Estimated parent payment**
$184/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$19,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$14,457

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$222/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$184/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$406/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $56,647, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.8%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-nebraska-at-kearney#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.