Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Research Universities in Nebraska 2025

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST IN NEBRASKA RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Chloe Dembski

Updated: Nov 6, 2024

Interested in attending a STEM school in Nebraska? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.

Key Takeaways

Many of Nebraska’s research universities encourage undergraduate students to participate in hands-on research alongside faculty, allowing for early career experience and practical application of classroom knowledge.
The universities in our ranking provide cutting-edge laboratories, research centers, and access to substantial funding for student-led projects, particularly in fields like agriculture, engineering, and environmental sciences.
The best research universities for Nebraska often collaborate with industries and businesses within Nebraska, offering students internships, co-op programs, and networking opportunities that can lead to career paths directly after graduation.

Table of Contents

Best Research Universities in Nebraska in 2025

University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Creighton University
University of Nebraska Omaha

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

There are no changes to our ranking of the best research universities for Nebraska for 2025. This was a result of all the schools in the ranking making similar improvements to their curriculum, internship opportunities, and other program features.

A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. We’ve identified 3 research universities in Nebraska. To be included in our ranking, schools must be a fully accredited universities and must must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Best Research Universities in Nebraska

Last Year’s Ranking:
1. University of Nebraska–Lincoln
2. Creighton University
3. University of Nebraska Omaha
#1
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Lincoln , NE
#1 Best Grad Schools in Nebraska 2025 #1 Best Colleges in Nebraska 2024 #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Nebraska 2025 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
65%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1225/25
Career Outlook for degree at University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Cost of Degree: $10,108
Expenses: $18,548
Starting Salary: $52,700
Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Nebraska–Lincoln known for?

University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Chemistry
Computer Science
Mathematics
Sociology
Psychology
Biology
Business
History
Physics
Anthropology

Most Influential Alumni

John J. Pershing
Johnny Carson
Richard Hamming
Norman Malcolm
Jay Wright Forrester
Roscoe Pound
George Beadle
Donald J. Cram
Willa Cather
Alan J. Heeger
Gene Okerlund
J. P. Guilford
University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Online Degrees
BGS in Fine Arts

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Business Administration

Degree Concentrations
Entrepreneurship
Marketing/Management
Accounting
Logistics And Supply Chain Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Business Administration Comprehensive

Degree Concentrations
Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in General Administration

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Nonprofit Administration

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Organizational And Relational Communication

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Information Technology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Management Information Systems

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Management Information Systems

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Criminology And Criminal Justice

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Criminology And Criminal Justice

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Cybersecurity

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Emergency Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Emergency Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Early Childhood & Family Advocacy

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Early Childhood Education In A Mobile Society

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BAEd in Early Childhood Inclusive

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BGS in General Studies

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in History

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in History

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BGS in Humanities

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BSEd in Library Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Library Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Multidisciplinary Studies

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Political Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BGS in Professional Studies

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BSG in Social Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Social Work

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in Sociology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Sociology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Sociology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in Women'S And Gender Studies

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Medical Imaging & Therapeutic Sciences

Required Credits: 20
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BSN in Nursing

Degree Concentrations
Rn To Bsn

Required Credits: 20
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Medical Laboratory Science

Required Credits: 35
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Applied Health Sciences

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Gerontology

Degree Concentrations
Administration

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BMS in Gerontology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Psychology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in Psychology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BS in Applied Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school
#2
Creighton University
Omaha , NE
#5 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Ranked for 2024 #11 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees 2025 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Nebraska 2025 #1 Best Private Colleges in Nebraska 2025
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
78%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1313/29
Career Outlook for degree at Creighton University
Cost of Degree: $47,000
Expenses: $16,790
Starting Salary: $70,100
Cost Recoup Time: 15 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is Creighton University known for?

Creighton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Anthropology
Medical
Sociology
Philosophy
History
Law
Business
Biology
Mathematics

Most Influential Alumni

Henry T. Lynch
Madeleine Leininger
Alejandro Portes
Nancey Murphy
Charles Vacanti
Bob Gibson
Mary Alice Williams
Ron Hansen
Timothy R. Lannon
Kyle Korver
Paul Silas
J. Clay Smith Jr.
Creighton University’s Online Degrees
BS in Leadership

Required Credits: 128
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BSEMS in Emergency Medical Services

Required Credits: 128
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in Healthy Lifestyle Management

Required Credits: 128
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school
#3
University of Nebraska Omaha
Omaha , NE
#2 Most Affordable Colleges in Nebraska 2025 #2 Best Public Colleges in Nebraska 2024 #3 Best Grad Schools in Nebraska 2025 #3 Best Colleges in Nebraska 2024
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
49%
Student body
18K
Career Outlook for degree at University of Nebraska Omaha
Cost of Degree: $8,370
Expenses: $16,604
Starting Salary: $49,300
Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Nebraska Omaha known for?

University of Nebraska Omaha’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Criminal Justice
Computer Science
Psychology
Communications
Biology
Business
Physics
History
Chemistry
Medical

Most Influential Alumni

John L. Holland
James E. McDonald
Peter Fonda
Chuck Hagel
Abdul Salam Azimi
Penny Sackett
Laurie S. Fulton
Joseph Berg Esenwein
Robert Hemenway
James Henry Taylor
Conor Oberst
Samuel Walker
University of Nebraska Omaha’s Online Degrees
BA in Religious Studies

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school

Build your own college rankings

Find the Best Research Universities in Nebraska for Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Research Universities in Nebraska 2025

Key Takeaways

Best Research Universities in Nebraska in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Best Research Universities in Nebraska

Last Year’s Ranking:

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Career Outlook for degree at University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Most Influential Alumni

University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Creighton University

Career Outlook for degree at Creighton University

Most Influential Alumni

Creighton University’s Online Degrees

University of Nebraska Omaha

Career Outlook for degree at University of Nebraska Omaha

Most Influential Alumni

University of Nebraska Omaha’s Online Degrees

Find the Best Research Universities in Nebraska for Your Area of Interest