Best Education Schools Near Grand Island, NE (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Grand Island, Nebraska has 5 accredited schools offering education programs. Grand Island has a population of about 52,761. Median household income is $62,439 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Island, NE metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Educational and Career Counselor at a median $109,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Grand Island

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education programs near Grand Island, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Grand Island city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Grand Island. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Hastings College

Hastings, NE 22.9 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
33.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,303
Avg net price $24,452/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York University

York, NE 40.9 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,130
Avg net price $20,951/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, NE 41.6 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,105
Avg net price $16,242/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Concordia University-Nebraska

Seward, NE 66.3 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,415
Avg net price $23,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Doane University

Crete, NE 76.5 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,316
Avg net price $26,364/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE 86.9 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,887
Avg net price $17,747/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, NE 89.5 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,405
Avg net price $18,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bryan College of Health Sciences

Lincoln, NE 89.6 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 67%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,845
Avg net price $26,919/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,640
Out‑of‑state$20,640
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Nebraska schools on the Nebraska education page.

Education Wages Near Grand Island

Grand Island is part of the Grand Island, NE metro area (BLS area code 24260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Nebraska statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher $64,910 Grand Island, NE $74,867
Elementary School Teacher $64,530 Grand Island, NE $74,429
Middle School Teacher $65,480 Grand Island, NE $75,525
Education Teacher, Postsecondary $78,950 NE statewide $91,061
Education Administrator, K-12 $109,460 Grand Island, NE $126,251
Education Administrator, Postsecondary $96,030 NE statewide $110,761
Tutor $38,470 NE statewide $44,371
Educational and Career Counselor $109,480 Grand Island, NE $126,275

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Grand Island at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,761 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,439 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Hall County 74 workers, 11 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Grand Island-Area Cities With Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Grand Island, NE?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Grand Island. The closest is Hastings College in Hastings, NE (22.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Doane University (76.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Grand Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Grand Island are: Educational and Career Counselor ($109,480), Education Administrator, K-12 ($109,460), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($96,030). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Nebraska statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hastings instead of Grand Island?

Hastings, NE is 22.5 miles from Grand Island and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Grand Island an affordable place to study education?

Grand Island’s median household income of $62,439 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Island while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Nebraska public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Grand Island

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Grand Island:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Education Schools in Nebraska: Online Programs (2026)