Best Online Human Services Programs in Lincoln, NE (2026)

Lincoln, Nebraska has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $9,903 to $23,531 per year for indexed programs. Lincoln has a population of about 291,932. Median household income is $69,991 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lincoln, NE metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor at a median $76,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Lincoln

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services programs near Lincoln, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lincoln 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 Lincoln. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Doane University

Crete, NE 19.1 miles from Lincoln 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

#2

Midland University

Fremont, NE 44.5 miles from Lincoln BOC Score 39.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,163
Avg net price $26,267/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Bellevue University

Bellevue, NE 46.1 miles from Lincoln BOC Score 50.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,289
Avg net price $17,550/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,903
Out‑of‑state$9,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Metropolitan Community College Area

Omaha, NE 49.6 miles from Lincoln BOC Score 46.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,773
Avg net price $4,982/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeast Community College

Norfolk, NE 93.5 miles from Lincoln BOC Score 71.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,634
Avg net price $8,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services Wages Near Lincoln

Lincoln is part of the Lincoln, NE metro area (BLS area code 30700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Nebraska statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$39,140Lincoln, NE$42,729
Social and Community Service Manager$74,840Lincoln, NE$81,703
Child, Family and School Social Worker$46,230Lincoln, NE$50,469
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$76,480Lincoln, NE$83,493

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.


Lincoln at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population291,932Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$69,991Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lincoln-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Lincoln, NE?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Lincoln. The closest is Doane University in Crete, NE (19.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa Western Community College (56.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Lincoln?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Lincoln are: Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($76,480), Social and Community Service Manager ($74,840), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($46,230). 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 Fremont instead of Lincoln?

Fremont, NE is 44.8 miles from Lincoln and has its own set of local human services programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lincoln an affordable place to study human services?

Lincoln’s median household income of $69,991 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lincoln 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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in Lincoln

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

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 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.