University of Nebraska system sees increase in new students, lower overall enrollment

The University of Nebraska system saw an increase in freshmen for the 2026-27 academic year, while overall enrollment declined.

An NU press release said enrollment of first-year students hit 7,987 at the start of the fall semester, an increase of 163 students compared to 7,824 in 2025.

Overall enrollment across the system was down, however, from 49,638 in 2025 to 48,948 in 2026. That's a much larger decline than in 2025, which saw enrollment down about 100 students compared with 2024.

The University of Nebraska system includes the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Kearney and University of Nebraska Medica Center.

NU said that strong recent graduation rates, pathways for early graduation, a nationwide decrease in international students and lower birth rates contributed to the lower overall enrollment.

“Our overall enrollment reflects national trends and an important inflection point for Nebraska,” NU President Jeffrey Gold said in the release. “Students are taking advantage of programs that allow them to move through college faster, and more quickly entering the workforce. Across the NU System, more new students are choosing to pursue an undergraduate degree. These are positive developments that we should celebrate and encourage.”

The announcement comes less than week after Gold gave his State of the University Address, where he called for Nebraskans to share how the university has impacted them as NU prepares to ask the Nebraska Legislature for a 4.25% increase for each of the next two years in the upcoming legislative session.

The university system saw more than $40 million in cuts last school year, partly due to a less-than-expected state appropriation during the last budget appropriation cycle. Those reductions resulted in the elimination of four departments on the Lincoln campus, as well as nearly 100 faculty who took an early retirement through a voluntary separation incentive program.

Additionally, this summer Gov. Jim Pillen requested an additional 5% reduction.

International student enrollment across the system was at 2,569, down 11% since last year. Graduate enrollment was also down, to 8,979 from 9,509 in 2025, mirroring national trends following reductions in federal research funding.

Students in the NU System enrolled in 602,106 credit hours, which the release said indicates that students are taking more courses and accelerating their pathway to degree completion and graduation.

Since 2018, the university has graduated approximately 11,000 students each year, peaking at 11,654 in 2021.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis specifically saw increases in enrollment, the latter by 11.3% to 237 students this fall, in part because of a popular online veterinary technology program launched in 2025.

Specific enrollment figures are as follows:

System-wide totals

• University of Nebraska System total headcount: 48,948 (1.4% decrease)
• First-time freshmen: 7,987
• Undergraduate students: 36,265 (0.1% decrease)
• Graduate students: 8,979 (0.06% decrease)
• Professional students: 3,704 (1.1% increase)
• Resident students: 37,670 (0.8% decrease)
• Nonresident students: 11,278 (3.5% decrease)
• Full-time student enrollment: 40,013 (0.6% decrease)
• Student credit hours: 602,106 (0.7% decrease)

By campus totals

• University of Nebraska (UNL and UNMC as jointly accredited campuses): 28,424 (1.2% decrease)
  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln: 23,577 (1.6% decrease)
  • University of Nebraska Medical Center: 4,847 (0.6% increase)
• University of Nebraska at Kearney: 5,477 (3.9% decrease)
• University of Nebraska at Omaha: 14,810 (1% decrease)
• Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture: 237 (11.3% increase)

The enrollment figures follow several programs that have launched in recent years aiming to keep top Nebraska students in-state for college.

The release said more than 7,500 Nebraska students are attending college through the Nebraska Promise, which waives tuition for students whose families make less than $65,000 annually. In addition, more than 80 students currently enrolled across the NU system are taking part in the Presidential Scholars Program, which provides a full-ride scholarship plus a $5,000 annual stipend to any student who graduates from a Nebraska high school and receives a perfect 36 on the ACT.

More than 250 first-year students are also attending college as part of the NexGen Scholars program, which provides a full-ride scholarship to any resident student who graduates from a Nebraska high school and receives a 33-35 composite score on the ACT.

“As Nebraska’s only public university system, serving the people and communities of our state is central to our mission,” Gold said in the release. “While I’m encouraged by our graduation rates and increasing numbers of first-time freshman, we must continue our work to grow new programs that will support Nebraska’s workforce needs.”

By wall of full disclosure, members of the Nebraska Public Media newsroom are UNL employees.