Nebraska: school, college and career rules
Nebraska requires at least 200 high school credit hours (80% in core courses, with personal finance and, from 2027-28, computer science) and a completed FAFSA, tests with NSCAS and the ACT for every junior, sets resident tuition after a home in Nebraska for 180 days, and funds the need-based Nebraska Opportunity Grant.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-729: each high school student must complete at least 200 high school credit hours before graduating, and at least 80% of them must be core curriculum courses prescribed by the State Board of Education. nebraskalegislature.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-02-03 (20260203015720).Neb. Rev. Stat.
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Total | 200 credit hours minimum (a credit hour is at least one class period a week for one semester) |
| Core curriculum | At least 80% of the minimum credit hours, in courses set by the State Board of Education |
| Personal finance or financial literacy | At least 5 credit hours (public schools, since 2023-24) |
| Computer science and technology education | At least 5 credit hours (public schools, from 2027-28) |
200 credit hours.
State tests for the diploma
No exit exam. Public high school students must complete and submit the FAFSA before graduating, unless a parent (or a student who is 19 or emancipated) signs an opt-out form or the principal excuses them for good cause. nebraskalegislature.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-02-03 (20260203015720).Neb. Rev. Stat.
Also good to know
- Students who were under juvenile court jurisdiction in an out-of-home placement during high school can, from 2026-27, graduate on request without extra local requirements, or receive a state diploma from the Commissioner.
Neb. Rev. Stat.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-729, High school students; graduation requirements; exceptionsNebraska Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
nebraskalegislature.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-02-03 (20260203015720).
View source
State test: NSCAS and the ACT
Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) General Summative and the ACT. NSCAS General Summative tests measure performance against Nebraska standards: computer-adaptive English language arts and math in grades 3 to 8 and science in grades 5 and 8 (given by NWEA); high school accountability testing is the ACT. NDE
View source
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| NSCAS General Summative | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–8 |
| NSCAS General Summative | Science | Grades 5 and 8 |
| ACT | English, math, reading, science and writing | Third-year high school cohort (usually juniors) |
Source: NDE
View source
What the scores are used for
- Since LB 930 (2016) changed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-760, high school accountability testing is a college entrance exam: every third-year public school student, including special education students and English learners, takes the ACT each spring.
NDE
ACT (statewide high school assessment)Nebraska Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of Nebraska SystemUniversity system · Four campuses under the NU Board of Regents: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (land-grant research university and Big Ten member), the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, plus the two-year Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.
- Metropolitan Community College (MCC)Community colleges · Comprehensive public community college founded in 1974 for Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties; the largest community college in Nebraska by enrollment and the state's second-largest postsecondary institution.
Sources: University of Nebraska
View sourceMCC
View source
Every school in Nebraska, public and private, with cost and completion: 40 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 2 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-502: an adult or emancipated minor is a resident for tuition only after establishing a home in Nebraska where they are habitually present for at least 180 days, with the bona fide intention of making Nebraska their permanent home, backed by documents.
Neb. Rev. Stat.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-502, State postsecondary educational institution; residence requirementsNebraska Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
nebraskalegislature.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-13 (20260813011312).
View source - Minors (and adult tax dependents) qualify through parents or guardians who have a Nebraska home with that intention; a student does not lose residency if the parents later leave.
Neb. Rev. Stat.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-502, State postsecondary educational institution; residence requirementsNebraska Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
nebraskalegislature.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-13 (20260813011312).
View source - Students who lived with a parent and graduated from a Nebraska high school (or earned a Nebraska equivalency diploma) after at least three years in the state also qualify, as do active-duty military stationed in Nebraska, Nebraska National Guard members and new university or college staff.
Neb. Rev. Stat.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-502, State postsecondary educational institution; residence requirementsNebraska Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
nebraskalegislature.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-13 (20260813011312).
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG)
Need-based state grant (formerly the Nebraska State Grant) for Nebraska residents attending a Nebraska postsecondary institution, based on the Student Aid Index from the FAFSA; it is awarded through the colleges, so students apply to the school and file the FAFSA. CCPE
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Nebraska license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Nebraska board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Nebraska State Bar Commission (Nebraska Supreme Court, Attorney Services Division) | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from July 2027. NCBENebraska: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Nebraska State Board of Public Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Nebraska Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Nebraska Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Nebraska State Jobs
Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
- Search and apply for jobs across almost 80 state agencies, boards and commissions at statejobs.nebraska.gov; current state employees use a separate apply link.
- The SOS Temporary Program places candidates in temporary state assignments of one day to one year.
Source: statejobs.nebraska.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-06 (20261006010834).Nebraska State Jobs
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Nebraska has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Nebraska Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)Nebraska has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Nebraska Apprenticeship Office registers and oversees programs.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Nebraska: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Nebraska Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-729, High school students; graduation requirements; exceptions · Nebraska Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- NSCAS General Summative Assessment · Nebraska Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- ACT (statewide high school assessment) · Nebraska Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- University of Nebraska System (home page) · University of Nebraska Board of Regents checked 2026-10-22
- About MCC · Metropolitan Community College checked 2026-10-22
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 85-502, State postsecondary educational institution; residence requirements · Nebraska Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) · Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education checked 2026-10-22
- Nebraska State Jobs · State of Nebraska checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21