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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Physics bachelor's degree at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$5,034 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
35.1% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
$21,880 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
+7% · Positive payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$71,752 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5$47,670 → Not available
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
19Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

52Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
21Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
26Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,082Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$71,752$35,670 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$17,747

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$25,209

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$71,752

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$267/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$17,747Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$26,697Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE87.5%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE67.0%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$47,670Year 1
$71,752Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.5% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$5,979
Estimated loan payment$267
19borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$71,752 vs. $76,786

$5,034 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Physicists$172,250 median wageU.S. estimate · 20,430 jobs · 19-2012+7.2% projected U.S. growth · 1,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeNatural Sciences Managers$120,620 median wageNE estimate · 550 jobs · 11-9121$82,640–$145,610 middle 50% of NE wages+8.2% projected U.S. growth · 9,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePhysics Teachers, Postsecondary$98,460 median wageNE estimate · 70 jobs · 25-1054$71,220–$128,750 middle 50% of NE wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$63,450 median wageNE estimate · 7,170 jobs · 25-2031$60,740–$76,070 middle 50% of NE wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Chapel Hill, NC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

$31,725 higher earnings · $6,009 less debt · $6,092 lower annual net price

Earnings
$103,477
Debt
$19,200
Annual net price
$11,655
View outcomes →
San Luis Obispo, CA

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

$25,053 higher earnings · $2,209 less debt · $1,082 lower annual net price

Earnings
$96,805
Debt
$23,000
Annual net price
$16,665
View outcomes →
Irvine, CA

University of California, Irvine

$24,463 higher earnings · $10,209 less debt · $3,496 lower annual net price

Earnings
$96,215
Debt
$15,000
Annual net price
$14,251
View outcomes →
Berkeley, CA

University of California, Berkeley

$24,291 higher earnings · $9,701 less debt · $4,266 lower annual net price

Earnings
$96,043
Debt
$15,508
Annual net price
$13,481
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

Not reported observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →