Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in Nebraska
6
Meet the Ranking Threshold
2
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$22,470
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Nebraska
General studies bachelor's degrees in Nebraska put two University of Nebraska campuses in the national top 30 and nothing else near them. The University of Nebraska at Kearney's Bachelor of General Studies scores 72, 17th on the national bachelor's ranking, on a 58% graduation rate, $8,270 in resident tuition and fees and 44 graduates. The University of Nebraska at Omaha scores 67, 29th nationally, and is the state's largest general studies program at any level, with 338 bachelor's degrees in the latest year, a 47% graduation rate and $8,370.
The other four programs are private, small and below the threshold: College of Saint Mary in Omaha awarded 9 degrees at $23,340 with a 61% graduation rate, York University 8 at $21,600 and 52%, Union Adventist University in Lincoln 2 at $27,990 and 52%, and Midland University in Fremont 1 at $40,270 and 42%. None of the six is offered fully online, so this is a campus degree in Nebraska, and the campuses that matter are in Kearney and Omaha.
Omaha's 338 graduates against Kearney's 44 is the real choice at this level: a large program with a 47% graduation rate or a small one with 58%, at almost the same price.
The 2 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Nebraska
The best general studies bachelor's degrees in Nebraska are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's 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
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Bachelor of General Studies
Nebraska
72.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 58%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,270 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 44
About the Program
Customizing your own bachelor's degree is the idea, and you do it with guidance from an academic advisor. Don't mix the degree up with something that shares its name, though. The LOPERs General Studies program is a required component in all undergraduate degrees at UNK, which makes it a separate thing from the Bachelor of General Studies.
Online study leads to the same degree that on-campus students receive, so the Bachelor of General Studies you earn at a distance is the one earned on campus. Because you're building the degree yourself, advising is where it starts. The contact the college gives is its director of Academic Advising and Career Development.
2
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Nebraska
67.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 47%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,370 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 338
About the Program
Based in Omaha, Nebraska, University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public university with 14,972 students on its rolls. Some 338 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 98% of the programs ranked alongside it. A 47% graduation rate puts the college at the 41st percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees are $8,370 a year for residents and $22,358 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 81% of programs at this level. About 87% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Strongest of its measures is the number of degrees it awards, which lands at the 98th percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Nebraska
The other general studies bachelor's 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.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Saint Mary, Omaha | 9 | 61% | $23,340 |
| York University, York | 8 | 52% | $21,600 |
| Union Adventist University, Lincoln | 2 | 52% | $27,990 |
| Midland University, Fremont | 1 | 42% | $40,270 |
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 Bachelor's Degree Cost in Nebraska?
A general studies bachelor's degree in Nebraska costs a median of $22,470 a year in tuition and required fees for 2023-24, but that median sits in the gap between two public prices and four private ones. Residents pay $8,270 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and $8,370 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and nonresidents $15,920 and $22,358. The private colleges charge everyone the same: $21,600 at York University, $23,340 at College of Saint Mary, $27,990 at Union Adventist University and $40,270 at Midland University.
For a Nebraska resident finishing a bachelor's, the state's one need-based program is the Nebraska Opportunity Grant, funded through general appropriations and lottery funds. Its rules cover full- or part-time undergraduates in an eligible program at an eligible institution who are Nebraska residents with a Student Aid Index at or below the yearly maximum, so a working adult taking two courses a semester at Omaha qualifies on the same terms as a full-time student. In 2024-25 the grant paid an average of $1,823 to 13,386 students, which against Kearney's $8,270 is a real dent rather than a free year.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Nebraska?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in Nebraska by two different rulebooks, depending on the campus. At Kearney and Omaha, the two ranked programs, the University of Nebraska sets the terms, and Transfer Nebraska is where you check them: a statewide course-equivalency system created in 2014 as a partnership of every public institution in the state, including the community and tribal colleges, the state colleges and the University of Nebraska. It's meant for adults returning to college and high school students with college credit, and it shows course by course what Kearney or Omaha will accept.
The Nebraska State Colleges, Chadron State, Peru State and Wayne State, follow Policy 4430, the most generous written rule in the state: an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science with at least 30 semester hours of general studies coursework fulfills all requirements of a general studies program there. The policy accepts courses graded C- or better from accredited institutions and takes up to 66 hours from two-year colleges toward a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science.
So arrive with an AA or AS, run each course through Transfer Nebraska, and put to Kearney or Omaha the question Policy 4430 answers for the state colleges: whether a 30-hour general studies block from your associate degree clears general education in the Bachelor of General Studies.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in Nebraska?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree Program in Nebraska
Choosing a general studies bachelor's degree program in Nebraska is a choice between Kearney and Omaha, because the four private programs awarded between 1 and 9 degrees each and cost at least $21,600. Kearney graduates 58% on a program of 44 at $8,270 and Omaha 47% on a program of 338 at $8,370, so you're trading a higher chance of finishing for a far larger program at almost the same price. Neither is online, which rules out the whole level for anyone who can't get to a campus.
Ask Kearney and Omaha how the general studies degree lets you combine fields and how many credits must be taken in residence. Ask each how it treated last year's transfers from Southeast or Northeast Community College, and check your own courses in Transfer Nebraska before you commit. If a private college is in reach, College of Saint Mary's 61% graduation rate is the highest at this level, but at $23,340 you should ask what institutional aid brings the net price down to.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in Nebraska have their own page.
Common Questions About General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Nebraska
What Do Kearney and Omaha Charge for a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Nebraska?
Can a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Nebraska Be Finished Off Campus?
How Do You Check Transfer Credit for a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Nebraska?
Which Nebraska Universities Rank in the National Top 30 for a General Studies Bachelor's Degree?
Does the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Cover Part-Time Students Finishing a General Studies Bachelor's Degree?
Where Do the Figures on This Nebraska Page Come From?
- Transfer Nebraska
- Policy 4430: Transfer of Credits and Degrees (revised April 2026)
- Nebraska Opportunity Grant 2024-25 Year-End Report (October 3, 2025)
- Title 281, Chapter 5, Nebraska Opportunity Grant Program rules (effective 06/23/2025)
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates