Short answer: in the latest federal data, Nebraska Wesleyan tuition and fees were $45,342 for 2024-25, and the full cost of attendance was $57,378 a year. Students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $20,647 after grants. This page compares Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln with two other private nonprofit Nebraska colleges that have complete federal cost data: Concordia University-Nebraska in Seward and Doane University in Crete. Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, release dated October 15, 2026 (College Scorecard data).
Nebraska Wesleyan tuition and cost at a glance (2024-25)
| Figure | Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE) | Concordia University-Nebraska (Seward, NE) | Doane University (Crete, NE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of attendance | $57,378 | $55,197 | $61,919 |
| Tuition and fees | $45,342 | $42,400 | $45,246 |
| Average net price after grants | $20,647 | $24,521 | $28,885 |
Cost of attendance is the school's full yearly budget for a first-year student: tuition and fees, housing, food, books and other expenses. All three are private nonprofit universities, so they charge the same tuition whether or not you live in Nebraska. Net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average after grants and scholarships.
Concordia University-Nebraska had the lowest cost of attendance ($55,197) and the lowest tuition and fees ($42,400). Nebraska Wesleyan and Doane posted nearly the same tuition and fees ($45,342 and $45,246), a gap of $96. Doane had the highest cost of attendance ($61,919), $4,541 above Nebraska Wesleyan.
The prices families actually paid tell a different story. Nebraska Wesleyan had the lowest average net price of the three at $20,647—$3,874 below Concordia University-Nebraska ($24,521) and $8,238 below Doane ($28,885).
Net price by family income
These are College Scorecard averages for students who received federal aid:
| Family income | Nebraska Wesleyan | Concordia Nebraska | Doane |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $16,144 | $19,937 | $26,679 |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $17,341 | $18,668 | $25,204 |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $17,418 | $20,028 | $24,727 |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $19,503 | $23,305 | $28,886 |
| Over $110,000 | $27,336 | $27,363 | $31,335 |
Nebraska Wesleyan had the lowest average net price in every income band. In the highest band, Nebraska Wesleyan ($27,336) and Concordia Nebraska ($27,363) were $27 apart. Doane was highest in every band, including $26,679 for families earning up to $30,000—$10,535 above Nebraska Wesleyan's $16,144 in that band.
Estimate your own price
Every college must post a net price calculator. Nebraska Wesleyan's and Concordia University-Nebraska's calculators returned HTTP 200 on November 8, 2026. Doane University's federally reported calculator was unreachable to automated checks that day (HTTP 403), so families should use the calculator linked from our Doane University profile:
- Nebraska Wesleyan University net price calculator
- Concordia University-Nebraska net price calculator
- Nebraska Wesleyan University tuition and fees
Other numbers worth comparing
| Figure | Nebraska Wesleyan | Concordia Nebraska | Doane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission rate | 80% | 86% | 98% |
| Graduation rate | 61% | 60% | 59% |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,233 | $24,375 | $25,000 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $62,637 | $53,522 | $57,009 |
| Undergraduates | 1,453 | 1,283 | 978 |
Nebraska Wesleyan had the highest graduation rate (61%) and the highest median earnings 10 years after entry ($62,637) of the three, and the largest undergraduate enrollment. Doane admitted 98% of applicants. Median federal debt at graduation was similar across all three, near $24,000–$25,000.
For more schools, use our side-by-side comparison, see net price vs. sticker price, or browse Nebraska college costs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution file released October 15, 2026. Cost of attendance, tuition and admission rate are for 2024-25. Net price, debt, earnings and graduation rate are the most recent cohorts in that release and lag by a year or more. Check each university's website for current rates.