Lowest In-State Tuition for a Bachelor’s
$8,171 in annual undergraduate tuition and required fees for state residents (2024–25), the lowest among the 6 bachelor’s programs shown here.
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Nebraska’s two ranked doctoral programs cost nearly the same: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln lists $8,434 and the University of Nebraska at Omaha $8,305. Lincoln also tops the bachelor’s list, with 67% of students finishing schoolwide. Wayne State College has the lowest bachelor’s price among the six highest scorers, $8,171, and two community colleges list $3,840 for an associate degree, Northeast and Western Nebraska.

6 schools in Nebraska awarded psychology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24, scored against 1,212 bachelor’s programs nationwide. This section shows the top 6 of 14 eligible programs at this level.
Psychology BA and BS
Advanced coursework in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln psychology major follows one of three options: Psychological Science, Clinical Science and Human Services, or Neuroscience. Everyone first takes Career Planning for Psychology Majors, Introduction to Psychology, Cognitive Processes, Brain and Behavior, The Psychology of Social Behavior, Developmental Psychology and Research Methods and Data Analysis, worth four credits. Psychological Science asks for 18 hours of 300- and 400-level courses, Clinical Science and Human Services pairs a diversity course with five electives such as Psychopathology and Mental Health or Clinical Neuropsychology, and Neuroscience adds biology, chemistry, genetics and physics. The BS also requires 60 hours in math and the natural and physical sciences, and a C or better is needed in every major course.
Program Sources: Psychology < University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Psychology BA and BS
The University of Nebraska at Omaha lets psychology majors add a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, Cognitive Science, Developmental Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Mental Health, Neuroscience and Behavior or School Psychology. Each takes at least 12 credits and shows on your transcript. Required courses include Career Paths in Psychology, Explorations in the Science of Psychology, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, a research methods course and a Senior Assessment. You pick four courses from four of five areas, plus a 4000-level laboratory course. The BS adds a 15-credit cognate set, from Health and Science Explorations to Work Technology and Communication, while the BA adds a language requirement.
Program Sources: Psychology, Bachelor of Science < University of Nebraska OmahaPsychology, Bachelor of Arts < University of Nebraska Omaha
Psychology BA and BS
Skills courses at Nebraska Wesleyan University include Basic Helping Skills, a Psychology Practicum, Research Experience, Student Instructor Experience and Advanced Senior Research, and every major takes at least two credits of them. The 35 to 36 hour major also requires Introduction to Psychological Science, a Professional Seminar, Psychological Statistics (four credits) and Research Methods (four credits). Content comes from four pillars: biology and cognition, development, social and personality, and mental and physical health. You complete at least two credits in three of them, add six hours of upper-level content courses, and finish with a four-credit Capstone: Senior Research.
Program Sources: Psychology (B.A., B.S.) | NWU Course Catalog
Psychology BS
Students in Bellevue University's psychology BS design and run their own research studies, analyze the results in SPSS and present them, often at Rocky Mountain Psychological Association or American Psychological Association conferences. The 41-hour major starts with Introduction to Psychology, Careers in Psychology, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, Culture and Psychology and Introduction to Psychological Research, then moves to Experimental Psychology and an Advanced Studies capstone. You choose one course in each of two groups, such as Human Development and Abnormal Psychology, plus two more from options like Personality Theory, Health Psychology or Biological Psychology. A BS in Education option leads to secondary teacher certification with a psychology endorsement. The degree is available 100 percent online or on campus, with four start dates a year.
Program Sources: Online Psychology Degree (BS) | Bachelor's Program | Bellevue University
Psychology BA and BS
Students choose how to tailor the 36-hour psychology major at Wayne State College: one of Theories of Personality or History and Systems, two of Learning, Cognitive Psychology and Physiological Psychology, then 18 hours of electives, 12 of them upper level. General Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Statistics for the Social Sciences and a no-credit Assessment Seminar are required. Up to three hours of internship credit can count toward electives. The major is taught on campus in Wayne, and many students pair it with a second major or minor such as Criminal Justice, Human Services, Sociology, Business Administration or Philosophy. A Psychology Education 6-12 endorsement is available for students who want to teach psychology in grades 6 through 12.
Program Sources: Psychology Degree - Wayne State College Nebraska2026-27 Academic Catalog - Wayne State College
Psychology BA and BS
Counseling courses double as psychology electives at Peru State College, and the approved ones count toward the Provisional Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential, which also takes 300 hours of supervised field experience and an exam. Those classes are offered on campus only. The 57-hour major has a 33-hour core that includes Cognitive Psychology, Research Methods, Experimental Psychology, Psychological Tests and Measurements, Biological Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and a seminar. Eight option courses reach into business, criminal justice, counseling, sociology and special education, with internships among them. The degree can also be completed 100 percent online.
Program Sources: Psychology | Peru State CollegePsychology, BS/BA Program Sheet - Peru State College
2 schools in Nebraska awarded research doctorates in psychology in 2023–24. Doctoral scores leave out tuition because funding offers, not sticker price, decide the real cost. This section shows the top 2 of 2 eligible programs at this level.
Applicants to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln psychology PhD apply to one of five programs: clinical, developmental, law-psychology, neuroscience and behavior, or social and cognitive. Developmental is offered with the Department of Educational Psychology in the Teachers College, and law-psychology is sponsored jointly with the College of Law. Matching with a faculty mentor carries weight in admissions, so name the faculty members whose interests you share. Applicants need a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field and an undergraduate statistics or research methods course. The General GRE is not required. Applications are due December 1, including joint law-psychology applications. As a teaching assistant or a lead instructor who designs a course, you build a teaching portfolio alongside research.
Program Sources: Graduate Programs, Requirements, and Deadlines | Department of Psychology | NebraskaGraduate | Department of Psychology | Nebraska
Psychology PhD
Industrial/organizational psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience and behavior are the three doctoral areas of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Psychology. In I/O, the PhD adds 54 credit hours to a 36-hour master's, covers two practicum or internship experiences plus dissertation work, and typically takes three to four years beyond the thesis master's. Developmental psychology emphasizes infancy through adolescence, with both quantitative and qualitative approaches and a mentoring relationship. Neuroscience and behavior draws on collaborations with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Boys Town National Research Hospital and the Henry Doorly Zoo. I/O and neuroscience applications are due January 10, and applicants need at least a 3.0 GPA and 15 hours of psychology, including statistics, a lab and independent research.
Program Sources: Graduate Programs | Department of Psychology | University of Nebraska OmahaMaster's and Ph.D. Program in Industrial/Organizational Psychology | University of Nebraska at OmahaMA and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology | University of Nebraska OmahaMA and Ph.D. in Neuroscience & Behavior | University of Nebraska Omaha
2 colleges in Nebraska awarded psychology associate degrees in 2023–24. Ask how the courses transfer before you plan a bachelor’s degree. This section shows the top 2 of 2 eligible programs at this level.
Psychology AA
Psychology at Northeast Community College is an Associate of Arts concentration that pairs Introduction to Psychology, Human Development and Social Psychology with Introduction to Sociology, Exploring Unity and Diversity and Social Problems. The suggested two-year pathway runs 61 to 65 credits and leaves roughly 18 hours of electives. Recommended electives include Research Methods, Introduction to Human Services and Counseling, Criminology, Introduction to Social Work and Juvenile Justice. The degree is meant to give you the foundation to transfer into a psychology program at a four-year institution.
Program Sources: 2026-2027 Catalog - Northeast Community College
Psychology AA
Drugs and Behavior sits beside Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and Life Span: Human Growth and Development in the 18-credit core of Western Nebraska Community College's Psychology AA, along with Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods in Psychology. Applied Statistics, English Composition and a lab science come from the general education core, and 12 elective credits can include Ethics, Comparative Religions, Marriage and Family or Exploring Unity and Diversity. The 61-credit degree is offered in Alliance, Scottsbluff, Sidney and online. If your transfer school doesn't require foreign language, you can take other social science or elective courses instead.
Program Sources: Program: Psychology, AA - Western Nebraska Community College
Each program gets the same comparison score it earns in our national psychology model, calculated against the nationwide group that meets the numeric and directory criteria. We then order Nebraska’s eligible programs by that score within each degree level. We feature up to 10 programs, taking the next highest-ranked program from each degree-level list in turn. Scores are compared only within the same degree level. Bachelor’s lists weigh graduation rate (20%), published tuition (20%), graduate earnings (20%), program reputation (25%), and degrees awarded (15%). Doctoral lists weigh research activity (35%), program reputation (35%), and doctoral degrees awarded (30%). Associate lists weigh graduation rate (30%), published tuition (25%), program reputation (25%), and degrees awarded (20%). Methodology and data sources.
These picks compare only the programs featured in the lists above.
$8,171 in annual undergraduate tuition and required fees for state residents (2024–25), the lowest among the 6 bachelor’s programs shown here.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
246 psychology bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2023–24, the most of any school on this list.
The highest-scoring private school on the bachelor’s list (No. 3 overall), with a comparison score of 54.3.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Carries the Carnegie 2025 Research 1 designation for very high research spending and doctorate production.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
13 research doctorates awarded in 2023–24; ranked first of 2 doctoral programs shown here.
$3,840 in annual in-state tuition and required fees (2024–25). Confirm how credits transfer before you enroll.
This statewide overview includes all 18 eligible programs at 16 schools. Its totals, tuition comparisons, and ranks describe that wider group; the lists above feature 10 programs.
Public universities hold the first two places on Nebraska’s psychology bachelor’s list, led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with 246 degrees awarded in 2023–24. Nine of the 16 ranked schools are private, and the highest-scoring of them, Nebraska Wesleyan University, ranks third.
The bachelor’s list mixes large and very small programs. Lincoln ranks first and awarded 246 psychology bachelor’s degrees, while Nebraska Wesleyan University, the top private school at third, awarded 37. Resident prices at the five public schools fall in a narrow band, from Wayne State College’s $8,171 to Lincoln’s $10,434 (2024–25 schoolwide tuition and fees). Among private schools in the top 12, prices run from $12,873 at Bellevue University to $43,572 at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Schoolwide graduation rates spread from 67% at Lincoln to 33% at Bellevue, which awarded 46 psychology bachelor’s degrees.
Lincoln leads the research doctorate list with a score of 86.7 and 13 doctorates, and it carries the Research 1 designation; Omaha follows at 44.1 with 7. Two community colleges, Northeast in Norfolk and Western Nebraska in Scottsbluff, charged residents $3,840 in 2024–25 for a lower-cost start.
The Nebraska Board of Psychology licenses psychologists in Nebraska. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in psychology does not by itself qualify you to practice as a psychologist.
Source: Statutes Relating to Psychology Practice Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-3114
Nebraska requires a doctoral degree for psychologist licensure; its master’s-level credentials (Psychological Assistant, Psychologist Associate) are supervised, testing-only registrations, not independent licenses. Nebraska is a PSYPACT member state.
Requirements summarized from the board’s official pages. Confirm the current rules with the board before you choose a graduate program.
These are BLS median annual wages for Nebraska and the United States from the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. A median is the midpoint among workers in the occupation, from new hires to senior staff, so it is not a starting salary for a new graduate. The 10th–90th percentile range shows what the middle 80% of workers earn in the state.
| Occupation | Nebraska Median | Nebraska 10th–90th Percentile | U.S. Median | Nebraska Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychologist Wages in Nebraska BLS: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $94,540 | $45,370–$143,190 | $100,580 | 770 |
| Psychologist Salary in Nebraska BLS: School Psychologists | $88,980 | $66,420–$125,050 | $95,990 | 440 |
| Psychologist Wages in Nebraska BLS: Psychologists, All Other | $131,640 | $34,170–$169,980 | $110,840 | 50 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wage data does not enter the program scores.
8 schools in Nebraska appear in the lists shown here (6 bachelor’s, 2 research doctorate, 2 associate programs). A school can appear at more than one degree level. The page features 10 programs selected from 18 eligible programs at 16 schools. The degree counts come from federal IPEDS completions for 2023–24.
Wayne State College lists $8,171 in annual undergraduate tuition and required fees for state residents in 2024–25, the lowest among the bachelor’s programs shown here. That is a schoolwide figure before aid, so check the program’s own costs and any fees for fieldwork or labs.
The federal IPEDS completions file records psychology research doctorates awarded in 2023–24 at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (13 degrees), University of Nebraska at Omaha (7 degrees). These are historical award counts. Check current admissions, advisor availability, and funding directly with each department.
This statewide comparison covers all 18 eligible programs, including those outside the featured lists. University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranks first among 2 psychology research doctorate programs on the Nebraska list. It reported 13 research doctorates in 2023–24. University of Nebraska at Omaha also appears on the list. Read the doctoral program’s research areas and advisor information before you apply. Degree awards describe past graduates, not the size of the next entering cohort.
This statewide comparison covers all 18 eligible programs, including those outside the featured lists. Wayne State College in Wayne has the lowest resident tuition and required fees among the ranked psychology bachelor’s programs: $8,171 for 2024–25. Those are schoolwide undergraduate charges. Compare your aid offer and housing costs before deciding which school fits your budget.