University Of Nevada-Las Vegas

University of Nevada-Las Vegas prices its degrees across a wide income spectrum, with low-income families paying approximately $8,526 per year in net price, middle-income families seeing annual costs around $10,606, and higher-income families paying closer to $15,905. Azimuth ranks University of Nevada-Las Vegas #158 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That positioning reflects the university's public-tuition structure and its role as a broad-access institution serving a large share of Nevada students who depend on need-based aid to make enrollment feasible. The gap between published cost of attendance and what most families actually pay is a meaningful part of the UNLV affordability story — [net price and sticker price can differ substantially](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), and UNLV's aid programs close a portion of that gap for qualifying students.

Need-based aid reaches a substantial share of the student body, with Pell-eligible and lower-income students benefiting most from federal, state, and institutional grant programs. Middle-income families see a net price that sits in a moderate range relative to comparable public institutions, while higher-income families pay closer to the full published cost of attendance of $19,638.

Families weighing UNLV's affordability should account for the full income-band picture rather than relying on sticker price alone, since individual aid packages vary within each band. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $19,450, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $20,906; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $62,637, median federal debt of $19,450 projects to a monthly payment of about $220 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of Nevada-Las Vegas earn median earnings of $62,637 four years after enrollment, placing University of Nevada-Las Vegas in the 62.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $10,733 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 86.9 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to NV's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,059, the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.

The degree mix at University of Nevada-Las Vegas is anchored in Business, which accounts for 23% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 7% and Education at 6%. Hospitality Administration/Management combines high enrollment with competitive earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Hospitality Administration/Management #9 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 462 graduates earning median earnings of $58,719. The Psychology, General program graduates 412 students with median earnings of $51,200, and Azimuth ranks Criminal Justice #88 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 330 graduates earning median earnings of $57,556.

Biology, General and Nursing round out the top programs, graduating 246 and 232 students respectively, with median earnings of $62,087 and $94,600 four years after enrollment.

University of Nevada-Las Vegas's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 23% of graduates — the largest concentration by field. Social Sciences follows at 7% and Education at 6%, giving the university a applied-professional orientation shaped by Las Vegas's hospitality, healthcare, and service-sector economy.

Across 54 programs serving roughly 4,750 students annually, 43 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Hospitality Administration/Management is the program combining the largest cohort with strong earnings, making it a central driver of the institution's overall financial profile.

Among the largest programs by enrollment in the Azimuth coverage set, Hospitality Administration/Management program graduates 462 students with median earnings of $58,719 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Psychology, General program graduates 412 students earning $51,200, while The Criminal Justice program graduates 330 students earning $57,556.

The highest median four-year earnings belong to Nursing, where graduates earn $94,600, and Azimuth ranks the program #98 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Accounting follows at $74,490, and Biology, General graduates earn $62,087 — both reflecting direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings capture real labor-market outcomes.

Several of University of Nevada-Las Vegas's strongest programs align with sectors showing sustained hiring demand in the Las Vegas metro and nationally. Business Administration graduates earn $61,524 and Hospitality Administration/Management graduates earn $58,719, rounding out a set of applied fields where graduates enter the workforce with competitive starting pay.

Programs like Biology, General and Nursing enroll sizable cohorts — 246 and 232 graduates respectively — though early-career earnings in these fields tend to be more moderate, reflecting pathways where graduate study or credential advancement often drives longer-term salary growth. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides broader context for how these program families align with national labor-market trends, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates individual programs.