Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Nebraska, Ranked (2026)

General Studies Associate Degrees in Nebraska

General studies associate degrees in Nebraska are four programs, and one of them does most of the work: Southeast Community College in Lincoln awarded 82 degrees in the latest year, while the other three awarded 8, 4 and 2. Southeast is the only one ranked, at 66.3 and 66th on the national associate ranking, on $3,388 in resident tuition and fees, a 38% graduation rate and a fully online option.

The three below the threshold are a mixed set. Northeast Community College in Norfolk graduates 56% of its students, the highest rate at this level in the state, charges $3,840 and also runs online. Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy charges $4,080 with a 22% graduation rate and lists online delivery too, so three of the four programs can be finished from home. Union Adventist University in Lincoln is the one private program, at $27,990 with a 52% graduation rate and 4 graduates.

So the two-year level in Nebraska is public, cheap and online. The three public colleges all charge $4,080 or less, nonresidents pay $3,976 at Southeast and $5,130 at Northeast, and Union Adventist charges everyone the same $27,990. What the level lacks is scale beyond Lincoln: outside Southeast, no program here graduated more than 8 students.

The Best General Studies Associate Degree in Nebraska

The best general studies associate degrees in Nebraska are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Nebraska. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.

1. 1

   Southeast Community College Area

   Nebraska

   66.3

   • Public
   • Fully Online Option

   College graduation rate

   38%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $3,388 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   82

   • College graduation rate percentile 59 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 89 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 52 / 100

   About the Program

   Some 10,816 students attend Southeast Community College Area, a public community college in Lincoln, Nebraska. It conferred 82 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 52% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. A 38% graduation rate puts the college at the 59th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees run $3,388 a year in state against $3,976 out of state, so on price it sits at the 89th percentile. Because the full degree is offered online, it is open to students well outside the region. On price it does best, reaching the 89th percentile.

Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Nebraska

The other general studies associate degrees in Nebraska awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.

Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.

How Much Does a General Studies Associate Degree Cost in Nebraska?

A general studies associate degree in Nebraska costs a median of $3,960 a year in resident tuition and required fees for 2023-24, and three of the four programs sit close to that line: Southeast Community College at $3,388, the lowest tuition in the state, Northeast Community College at $3,840 and Nebraska Indian Community College at $4,080. Union Adventist University, the one private program, lists $27,990. Nonresidents pay $3,976 at Southeast and $5,130 at Northeast, and Nebraska Indian charges residents and nonresidents the same $4,080.

The Nebraska Opportunity Grant is the state's only need-based financial aid program for postsecondary students, funded through general appropriations and lottery funds, and it reaches part-time students. The rules cover any full- or part-time undergraduate in an eligible program at an eligible institution who is a Nebraska resident with a Student Aid Index at or below the yearly maximum. In 2024-25 the grant paid $24,405,784 to 13,386 students, an average of $1,823, which set against Southeast's $3,388 covers more than half a year of tuition and fees. Ask your college's financial aid office what the current Student Aid Index ceiling is.

Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Nebraska?

A general studies associate degree transfers in Nebraska most completely to a Nebraska State College, where Policy 4430 says an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science completed at an accredited institution and including at least 30 semester hours of general studies coursework fulfills all requirements of the general studies program at Chadron State, Peru State or Wayne State. The same policy accepts college-level courses graded C- or better from accredited institutions toward a bachelor's degree and takes up to 66 hours from accredited two-year institutions toward a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science.

The University of Nebraska campuses at Kearney and Omaha, which award the state's ranked general studies bachelor's degrees, set their own rules, and the tool for checking them is Transfer Nebraska, a course-equivalency system created in 2014 by every public institution in the state, including the community and tribal colleges. It's written for adults returning to college as well as current students, so you can check a Southeast or Northeast course against Kearney or Omaha before you register for it.

Ask two things of your college: whether its general studies degree is awarded as an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science with at least 30 hours of general studies, which is what Policy 4430 recognizes, and how many of its courses show an equivalency at your target campus in Transfer Nebraska.

What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Nebraska?

Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Nebraska pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.

How to Choose a General Studies Associate Degree Program in Nebraska

To choose a general studies associate degree program in Nebraska, decide how much a higher graduation rate is worth against a ranked program's scale, because Southeast Community College graduates 38% of its students from a program of 82 graduates a year while Northeast Community College graduates 56% from a program of 8. Both run online and both charge under $4,000, so price barely separates them. Nebraska Indian Community College is also online at $4,080 but graduates 22%, and Union Adventist University's 52% graduation rate comes at a private price of $27,990.

Then ask where the degree goes. If Kearney or Omaha is the plan, run your intended courses through Transfer Nebraska before you pay for them. If Chadron, Peru or Wayne State is the plan, ask the college whether its general studies degree is awarded as an AA or AS with at least 30 hours of general studies, since that's the degree Policy 4430 waives general studies for. And ask what the Nebraska Opportunity Grant paid the college's part-time students last year.

If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Nebraska have their own page.