Public Graduate Good 68/100

Wayne State College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Wayne, Nebraska

About Wayne State College

Thinking about Wayne State College, a college in Nebraska where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Wayne State College is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Wayne, Nebraska. It enrolls 3,010 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
52%
Net Price
$15,360
Median Earnings (10yr)
$47,075
Enrollment
3,010
Student : Faculty
19:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 72
Value 46
Affordability 33
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Wayne State College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $15,360 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$15,360
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
26%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
32%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$8,216
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,142
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,142
Books & Supplies
$1,536
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,798
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,798
Total Cost of Attendance
$22,565

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $12,844
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,698
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $13,851
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,841
  • Over $110,000
    $18,905

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$19,000
Median percentile
$22,439
75% percentile
$28,470
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,748 ↓ $6,252
No Pell $12,000 ↓ $7,000
Dependent students $12,000 ↓ $7,000
Independent students $14,875 ↓ $4,125
Female students $12,000 ↓ $7,000
Male students $12,875 ↓ $6,125
Pell recipients: 16.7% (3,166 students)No Pell: 15.7% (2,980 students)Dependent students: 15.7% (2,980 students)Independent students: 19.4% (3,695 students)Female students: 15.7% (2,980 students)Male students: 16.8% (3,198 students)Overall Median$19,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($19,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

52% of students who start here finish within six years, and 73% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
52%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $47,075 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$47,075
Earning > $25K
79%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$40,000$42,000$44,000$46,000$48,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$35,100

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$46,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,800

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$40,200

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$43,400

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,800, about 25% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 9.8 pts across 6 years
78.2%1yr81.8%3yr86.8%5yr88%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,010 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 34% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
3,010
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
34%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 76.1% 2,289
Hispanic 10.2% 308
International 6.0% 180
Other 4.2% 125
Black 2.6% 77
Asian 0.7% 20
White: 76.1% (2,289 students)Hispanic: 10.2% (308 students)International: 6.0% (180 students)Other: 4.2% (125 students)Black: 2.6% (77 students)Asian: 0.7% (20 students)Total3,010

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Wayne State College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Distant Wayne, Nebraska
Housing
Mostly residential 1,529 beds on campus
Adult Learners
7% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Wayne State College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 41 distinct programs across 20 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
3 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,256
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$30M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$72,813
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

122 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 47 39% $86,890
Associate Professors 27 22% $69,429
Assistant Professors 30 25% $61,741
Instructors 14 11% $61,565
Lecturers 4 3% $52,658

Pros & Cons of Wayne State College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wayne State College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention

Frequently Asked Questions about Wayne State College

The questions families ask most about Wayne State College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Wayne State College cost?
Budget around $15,360 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wayne State College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $47,075 a year against a net price of $15,360, about 3.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Wayne State College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), Criminal Justice. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Wayne State College graduates earn?
About $47,075 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wayne State College accredited?
Yes. Wayne State College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Wayne State College?
3,010 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Wayne State College?
52% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Wayne State College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Wayne State College located?
Wayne State College is located in Wayne, Nebraska.
What programs does Wayne State College offer?
41 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), Criminal Justice. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Wayne State College?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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