University of Nebraska at Omaha — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public research university that leverages its urban location to provide students with exceptional internship and community-engagement opportunities. Admissions prioritize academic consistency and evidence of self-directed motivation. The university seeks students who are ready to connect with the professional world and participate in high-impact projects that bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application.
University of Nebraska at Omaha Acceptance Rate
University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNOMAHA) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 86.9% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Recommended Academic Profile
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
University of Nebraska at Omaha Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
University of Nebraska at Omaha follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
UNOMAHA reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
💡 The scholarship deadline (Priority scholarship: 2027/02/01) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
UNOMAHA GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at UNOMAHA is 3.44. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.14–3.44 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.64–3.84.UNOMAHA GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Regents and Distinguished Scholarships require completing the University Honors Program Application alongside admission by Feb. 1 and test scores submitted through the February senior-year date - Honors admission and UNO's top merit scholarships are bundled into one process
- Goodrich Scholarship Program (est. 1972 by Nebraska legislature) covers tuition/fees for up to 135 credit hours for need-and-merit-qualifying Nebraska residents, but applicants exceeding 31 college credits by May of the application year become ineligible; application reopens annually Oct. 1
- Goodrich cannot be combined/stacked with Regents, Chancellor's, Dean's, or Buffett Foundation scholarships - these are mutually exclusive at the institutional level
- Goodrich requires completing a free assessment (EPPE) by a set deadline and includes a dedicated two-year writing-intensive humanities/social science core curriculum alongside academic and non-academic support services
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at UNOMAHA
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on University of Nebraska at Omaha's verified institutional data
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNOMAHA) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if UNOMAHA is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into UNOMAHA Without SAT or ACT?
University of Nebraska at Omaha Average SAT Score: 1120
The average SAT score of admitted students at University of Nebraska at Omaha is 1120 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
If your score is below 1080, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at UNOMAHA. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | - | - | - |
| SAT Reading | - | - | - |
| SAT Composite | 1120 | 1080 | 1150 |
Below 1080, you're behind most admitted students; at 1150 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1100
Can I get into University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNOMAHA) with a 1150 SAT?
A 1150 SAT puts you ahead of most of UNOMAHA's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNOMAHA) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at UNOMAHA is 22.
ACT Competitiveness
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 21 | 17 | 25 |
| ACT English | 22 | 17 | 26 |
| ACT Composite | 22 | 18 | 26 |
Can I get into University of Nebraska at Omaha with a 26 ACT?
A 26 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of UNOMAHA's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at UNOMAHA.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for UNOMAHA
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
UNOMAHA takes a broad view of applicants. Your energy is best spent proving readiness for coursework and maximizing your financial aid package.
UNO's Regents Scholarship (covering Nebraska's most academically talented students) explicitly requires completing the University Honors Program Application in addition to being admitted by Feb. 1 and submitting test scores through the February senior-year test date - meaning Honors admission and the university's top merit scholarship are bundled into one application process. A strong Nebraska resident should treat the Honors application as financially consequential, not just an academic enrichment decision, since skipping it forecloses Regents/Distinguished Scholarship eligibility entirely.
The Goodrich Scholarship Program (established by the Nebraska legislature in 1972) is a merit-and-need-based award covering tuition and fees for up to 135 credit hours, paired with a dedicated two-year writing-intensive humanities/social science core curriculum and comprehensive support services - but applicants who will have earned more than 31 college credits by May of the application year become ineligible. A first-generation or financially-constrained Nebraska student should apply for Goodrich before accumulating significant dual-enrollment or AP credit that could push them past this specific credit ceiling, and should note the application reopens annually on October 1.
UNO explicitly states that students receiving tuition scholarships like Regents, Chancellor's, Dean's, or Buffett Foundation awards cannot combine or stack them with a Goodrich scholarship - these are mutually exclusive at the institutional level, unlike many scholarships that layer freely. A student eligible for multiple named UNO scholarships should contact the Office of Financial Support and Scholarships directly to determine which single award nets the most value, rather than assuming all eligible awards will be combined.
Beyond the financial award, Goodrich requires applicants to complete a free required assessment (the EPPE) by a set February deadline and builds in mandatory non-academic support services and a specific writing-intensive core curriculum - meaning Goodrich isn't simply a tuition check but a structured academic community a student commits to for up to 135 credit hours. A student evaluating Goodrich should understand they're opting into this specific curricular community, not just receiving a generic need-based award.
Acceptance-rate and test-requirement figures for UNO conflict noticeably across sources - some describe test scores as required, others as recommended but optional - so families should verify the current first-year testing policy directly with UNO admissions rather than relying on any single third-party aggregator, especially since this affects which scholarship pathways (Regents/Distinguished specifically require a February test-date submission) remain available.
UNOMAHA Profile
Is a UNOMAHA Degree Worth It?
Whether UNOMAHA is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $66,000, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.32%.
How much does a degree from UNOMAHA Cost?
The sticker price is $20,446/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $12,791.
33.1% of students receive a Pell Grant and 28.2% take federal loans at UNOMAHA. File your FAFSA early and list UNOMAHA as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a UNOMAHA Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $53,909. That's about 33% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than University of Nebraska at Omaha. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery, AL | 1090 | 21 |
| Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL | 1090 | 22 |
| Troy University | Troy, AL | 1086 | 22 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | 1095 | 22 |
| University of the Ozarks | Clarksville, AR | 1088 | 21 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin, CA | 1093 | 22 |
| Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO | 1084 | 20 |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction, CO | 1070 | 23 |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO | 1077 | 22 |
| Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, CT | 1091 | 24 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as University of Nebraska at Omaha. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 1116 | 22 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than University of Nebraska at Omaha. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
Degree Programs at UNOMAHA
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About UNOMAHA Admissions
Median graduate earnings at University of Nebraska at Omaha run about $53,909 a year.
At about $20,446 a year, University of Nebraska at Omaha is on the more affordable end.
About 33.1% receive a Pell Grant at University of Nebraska at Omaha. The odds are moderate and largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 86.9%, University of Nebraska at Omaha's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at University of Nebraska at Omaha average a 3.44 GPA.
University of Nebraska at Omaha doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.14 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.04, University of Nebraska at Omaha becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at University of Nebraska at Omaha — aim above 1120, ideally within the 1080–1150 range admitted students typically fall in.
University of Nebraska at Omaha follows Rolling Admissions. Applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
The application fee is 45. Fee waivers may be available. Check with admissions.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is Priority scholarship: 2027/02/01. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
