Enrollment among first-time freshmen is up across the University of Nebraska System for the 2026-27 academic year, according to data collected on the sixth day of classes across the NU System.
According to the data, collected annually as part of the university's six-day census, enrollment of first-time freshman across the NU System was 7,987 as the fall 2026 semester began, from 7,824 in 2025 – an increase of 163 students.
Across the system, enrollment was down from 49,638 in 2025 to 48,948 in 2026. Strong recent graduation rates, pathways for early graduation and a nationwide decrease in international students contributed to lower enrollment overall, as have decreasing birth rates, both in Nebraska and throughout much of the United States.
Across the NU System, international student enrollment 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 of reductions in federal research funding. At the same time, total student credit hours were strong, with students across the NU System enrolled in 602,106 credit hours, indicating that students are taking more courses and accelerating their pathway to degree completion and graduation.
“Our overall enrollment reflects national trends and an important inflection point for Nebraska,” said NU President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “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 graduating class size continues to grow as well. 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 also saw an increase 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.
In recent years, the NU System has launched several programs intended to expand access to higher education and keep top Nebraska students in-state for college. Across the system, 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.
Finally, more than 250 first-year students are 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,” said Dr. Gold. “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.”
Details on the University of Nebraska System's fall 2026 enrollment are below.
System-wide enrollment 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)
Campus enrollment 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)