With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a college degree. College Factual has developed its Best Associate Degree Colleges in Nebraska ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision.
Our analysis looked at 6 schools in Nebraska to determine which ones have the best associate degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
Better Early-Career Average Salaries
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. While associate degree recipients from schools in Nebraska earn an average starting salary of $35,713, those from the top 5 school on this list made an average of $36,021.
Starting Salary ( 33038 to 37712 )
Student Loan Borrowing
Students may also take on a lot of debt while working on their associate so we factor that into our rankings as well.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients from schools in Nebraska have accumulated an average of $18,510 in student debt.
We consider this number in conjunction with average post-graduation earnings to gauge the difficulty associate recipients will have paying back their loans.
Additional Ranking Factors We Use
In addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt loads, we also look at a host of other factors to determining our Best Associate Degree Schools ranking.
These factors include things like the educational resources, the demand associated with the school, whether or not the school offers online classes, and the student body caliber - just to name a few.
Are you more interested in the top associate degree schools in your area? Try narrowing this list by location. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
Metropolitan Community College tops this year’s ranking as the best school for associate degrees in Nebraska for overall quality. MCC is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,427 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $37,258 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $14,122 after getting their degree.
The excellent associate degree programs at Southeast Community College Area helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Nebraska. Southeast Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 1,052 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Southeast Community College make an average of $39,454 a year. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $15,587 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $150 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeast Community College. The school came in at #3 in Nebraska on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. Northeast is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 755 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Graduates with a associate degree from Northeast make an average of $34,057 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $12,060.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in Nebraska list. This medium-sized public school is located in Grand Island, Nebraska, and it awarded 695 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $35,375 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $8,979 in student loans.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Union College Nebraska. The school came in at #5 in Nebraska on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 67 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Mid-Plains Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in Nebraska ranking, coming in at #6. Located in North Platte, Nebraska, the small public school handed out 301 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a associate degree from Mid-Plains Community College make an average of $33,959 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $12,058.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
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