Public Bachelor's Good 65/100

Western Nevada College

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

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Carson City, Nevada

About Western Nevada College

Thinking about Western Nevada College, a college in Nevada where more students graduate in Liberal Arts 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.

Western Nevada College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Carson City, Nevada. It enrolls 1,910 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
14.1%
Net Price
$12,732
Median Earnings (10yr)
$41,987
Enrollment
1,910
Student : Faculty
18:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
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
65/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 59
Value 50
Affordability 31
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Western Nevada 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $12,732 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
$12,732
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
18%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
3%
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 (in-state)
$4,168
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,834
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,788
Books & Supplies
$940
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,688
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,248

Application fee: $15 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $11,678
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,828
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,359
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,074
  • Over $110,000
    $13,645

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.

$2,000
10% percentile
$4,000
25% percentile
$10,500
Median percentile
$20,709
75% percentile
$36,460
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 $9,500 ↓ $1,000
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $5,000
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $5,000
Independent students $10,000 ↓ $500
Female students $9,250 ↓ $1,250
Male students $6,604 ↓ $3,896
Pell recipients: 20.5% (2,152 students)No Pell: 11.9% (1,246 students)Dependent students: 11.9% (1,246 students)Independent students: 21.6% (2,265 students)Female students: 20.0% (2,095 students)Male students: 14.2% (1,496 students)Overall Median$10,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,622, close to what completers borrow ($10,500) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

14% of students who start here finish within six years. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. 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
14%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $41,987 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)
$41,987
Earning > $25K
67%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$36,000$38,000$39,000$41,000$43,0006 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
$34,000

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

Male graduates
$40,300

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,300, about 16% 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 ↑ 19.4 pts across 6 years
51.2%1yr56.7%3yr66.1%5yr70.7%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 71% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,910 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 54% are the first in their family to go to college, and 61% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
1,910
Part-Time
61%
First-Generation
54%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 50.2% 959
Hispanic 34.2% 654
Other 9.3% 177
Asian 2.6% 49
Black 1.8% 34
White: 50.2% (959 students)Hispanic: 34.2% (654 students)Other: 9.3% (177 students)Asian: 2.6% (49 students)Black: 1.8% (34 students)Total1,910

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Small City Carson City, Nevada
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
26% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

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

Western Nevada College offers a varied set of programs: 30 distinct programs across 14 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.

1 Program
6 Programs
1 Program
6 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,335
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$316,000
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$79,239
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

58 instructional faculty across 2 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 31 53% $84,311
Instructors 27 47% $73,416

Pros & Cons of Western Nevada College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Western Nevada 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
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, Western Nevada College is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Nevada College

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

How much does Western Nevada College cost?
Budget around $12,732 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 Western Nevada College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,987 a year against a net price of $12,732, about 3.3 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 Western Nevada College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Physical Sciences. 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 Western Nevada College graduates earn?
About $41,987 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 Western Nevada College accredited?
Yes. Western Nevada College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Western Nevada College?
1,910 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Western Nevada College?
14% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Western Nevada College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Western Nevada College located?
Western Nevada College is located in Carson City, Nevada.
What programs does Western Nevada College offer?
30 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Physical Sciences. 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 Western Nevada College?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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