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Wayne, Nebraska 201-203 N Main from WPhoto: Ammodramus · Public domain
Colleges in and near Wayne

Wayne is a college town: 31 of every 100 residents are students

Wayne State College (3,967 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Nebraska, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town31% of residents are studentsWayne State College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Wayne. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
3,967 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
Wayne State College
Residents in college
31%
Above NE (7%)
Nearest community college
23.8 mi
Northeast · $3,840 tuition
Nearest public university
0.4 mi
Wayne State College · $8,216 in-state
Students on campus in Wayne
3,967
next to 6,338 residents

What stands out about college in Wayne

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town31 of every 100 Wayne residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.A college in WayneWayne State College has 3,967 students on campus in Wayne, 52% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Wayne State CollegeLiving in Nebraska, Wayne State College charges $8,216 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.A community college 23.8 miles awayNortheast Community College in Norfolk: tuition and fees $3,840 a year for Nebraska residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Wayne

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

31 of every 100 Wayne residents are in college (NE: 7).

3,967students on campus at Wayne State College, next to 6,338 residents (dorm students count as residents)
600college students live in Wayne households rather than dorms
23.2median age · NE 37.2
53%of residents are men · NE 50% (±2.2 points)
58%of homes rented · NE 34%
$792median rent · 26% below the state
WayneWayne, NE
Cost of living$792/mo median rentBSafetyCrime reported to the FBIA−HealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Wayne’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 20.6% of Wayne residents are below the poverty line, 13.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 8 points either way). 68% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (31% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Wayne’s median age is 23.2 (Nebraska 37.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Wayne

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Wayne.

5 mi10 mi15 miWayne State CollegeWayne
University or collegeCommunity college
Wayne State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · 3,967 on campus · In Wayne$15knet price52%graduate$47kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Wayne’s median household income ($53,702) falls.

Wayne State CollegeIn Wayne · sticker $22,565$13,851a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Wayne: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Wayne State College
Wayne State College52% graduate$47k earnings$19k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Wayne

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Wayne State College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Education 24%Business 20%Public safety 9%Engineering tech 9%Computer science 6%Biology 6%Everything else 27%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations155 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods84 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections77 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas63 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians43 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Biology, General39 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology31 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness29 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Wayne

Is Wayne a college town?

Yes. 31 of every 100 Wayne residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Nebraska. Wayne State College has 3,967 students on campus, next to 6,338 residents.

What colleges are in Wayne?

Wayne State College is inside the city. Northeast Community College is 23.8 miles away in Norfolk.

Why is Wayne’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 20.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 13.2% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 8 points).

What is the closest community college to Wayne, and what does it cost?

Northeast Community College in Norfolk, 23.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,840 a year for Nebraska residents; the federal net price, $8,544, counts housing and food at full cost.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Wayne. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →