Western Nebraska Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. It enrolls 893 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
64/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes23
Value83
Affordability55
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Western Nebraska Community College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Western Nebraska Community College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $5,474 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$5,474
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
27%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
8%
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)
$3,840
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$4,410
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,340
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,722
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,724
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,052
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,939
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
$4,420
$30,001 – $48,000
$3,808
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,099
$75,001 – $110,000
$9,904
Over $110,000
$11,714
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.
$1,45810%percentile
$2,46025%percentile
$9,000Medianpercentile
$8,47575%percentile
$13,00090%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 $5,500
↓ $3,500
No Pell $5,500
↓ $3,500
Dependent students $5,489
↓ $3,511
Independent students $6,500
↓ $2,500
Female students $5,500
↓ $3,500
Male students $5,500
↓ $3,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,279, less than completers ($9,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
23% of full-time students who enrolled at Western Nebraska Community College graduate within six years, and 53% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
23%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
53%
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Western Nebraska Community College earn a median of $38,729 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,729
Earning > $25K
64%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$28,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$42,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$30,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$35,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$45,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $13,700, about 32% 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 ↑
7.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 73% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Western Nebraska Community College is home to 893 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 48% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
893
Part-Time
35%
First-Generation
48%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 54.3%485
Hispanic 26.5%237
International 9.0%80
Black 3.5%31
Other 2.7%24
Asian 1.2%11
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Western Nebraska Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: RemoteScottsbluff, Nebraska
Housing
Partly residential336 beds available
Adult Learners
22%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Western Nebraska Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
25 distinct programs across
15 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Western Nebraska Community College is 13:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$13,867
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$6.4M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$57,294
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
58 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors
58
100%
$57,294
Pros & Cons of Western Nebraska Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Western Nebraska Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Reasonable class sizes
Tight-knit, close community feel
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Western Nebraska Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Western Nebraska Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Western Nebraska Community College.
Is Western Nebraska Community College hard to get into?
Western Nebraska Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Nebraska Community College?
Western Nebraska Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Western Nebraska Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Western Nebraska Community College is $5,474 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Western Nebraska Community College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $38,729 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $5,474 per year. That's roughly 7.1x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Western Nebraska Community College known for?
Western Nebraska Community College is best known for its programs in Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Western Nebraska Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Western Nebraska Community College are $38,729, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Western Nebraska Community College accredited?
Yes. Western Nebraska Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Western Nebraska Community College?
Western Nebraska Community College enrolls 893 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Western Nebraska Community College?
Western Nebraska Community College graduates 23% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Western Nebraska Community College a public or private college?
Western Nebraska Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Western Nebraska Community College located?
Western Nebraska Community College is located in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
What programs does Western Nebraska Community College offer?
Western Nebraska Community College offers 25 distinct programs. The most popular include Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Western Nebraska Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Western Nebraska Community College is 13:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Nebraska
Other colleges in Nebraska share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
