Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Grand Island, NE (2026)

Grand Island, Nebraska has 5 accredited schools offering elementary 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 elementary education-related role is Middle School Teacher at a median $65,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Grand Island

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer elementary 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.

#1

Hastings College

Hastings, NE 22.8 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 33.2
  • 4 year
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: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York University

York, NE 40.8 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 37.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, NE 41.5 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 54.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Concordia University-Nebraska

Seward, NE 66.4 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Doane University

Crete, NE 76.7 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 50.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE 86.9 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 69.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, NE 89.5 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 61.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Union Adventist University

Lincoln, NE 90.0 miles from Grand Island BOC Score 43.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,045
Avg net price $23,716/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Elementary School Teacher$64,530Grand Island, NE$74,429
Middle School Teacher$65,480Grand Island, NE$75,525
Secondary School Teacher$64,910Grand Island, NE$74,867
Teaching Assistant$28,080Grand Island, NE$32,388

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

MetricValueSource
Population52,761Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,439Census 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

Other Grand Island-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Grand Island. The closest is Hastings College in Hastings, NE (22.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Doane University (76.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Grand Island are: Middle School Teacher ($65,480), Secondary School Teacher ($64,910), Elementary School Teacher ($64,530). 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 elementary 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 elementary 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Grand Island

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

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.