Applicants, Acceptance Rate, Yield Trends at UNL

The average acceptance rate at UNL over the past 10 years is 77.58%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 87.49%. Compared to the previous year, it became much easier to gain admission to UNL in 2025. The acceptance rate at UNL is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.

The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 40.97%, and the 2025 yield is 29.79%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 52.21% from 2015 to 2025.

The number of UNL applicants decreased by 2.80% (513 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 83.47% overall.

Trends by Subject

Key Takeaways: UNL Admission Metrics

Acceptance Rate Overview

The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 87.49%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that UNL is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.

Yield Rate & Enrollment Patterns

The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 29.79%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at UNL. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.

Application Volume & Admission Trends

For the 2025 admission cycle, UNL received approximately 17,841 applications, admitted 15,609 students, and enrolled 4,650 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that UNL is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.

Acceptance Rate Changes

UNL 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at UNL over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 77.58%, while the most recent rate stands at 87.49%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.

For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 87.49%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 77.50% and for women is 77.64%.

The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at UNL have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 76.36% 76.89% 75.88%
2016-17 75.27%
-1.09%
74.84%
-2.05%
75.63%
-0.26%
2017-18 64.38%
-10.89%
65.62%
-9.22%
63.33%
-12.29%
2018-19 79.61%
15.23%
80.43%
14.81%
78.91%
15.58%
2019-20 78.23%
-1.38%
78.39%
-2.05%
78.09%
-0.82%
2020-21 77.74%
-0.49%
77.53%
-0.86%
77.92%
-0.17%
2021-22 81.00%
3.26%
81.00%
3.47%
81.00%
3.08%
2022-23 78.64%
-2.36%
77.13%
-3.87%
79.86%
-1.14%
2023-24 77.07%
-1.57%
77.01%
-0.13%
77.14%
-2.72%
2024-25 87.49%
10.42%
86.11%
9.10%
88.61%
11.47%
Average 77.58% 77.50% 77.64%
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Acceptance Rate Trends Over Time - Historical Admission Rate Data Visualization Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

UNL has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 62.33% in 2015 to 29.79% in 2025, representing a 52.21% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 40.97%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at UNL from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 52.21% over this period.

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 62.33% 67.45% 57.74%
2016-17 57.69%
-4.64%
62.89%
-4.55%
53.39%
-4.35%
2017-18 50.97%
-6.71%
56.13%
-6.76%
46.45%
-6.94%
2018-19 40.45%
-10.52%
45.38%
-10.75%
36.23%
-10.22%
2019-20 36.27%
-4.18%
38.80%
-6.58%
34.09%
-2.14%
2020-21 35.08%
-1.19%
38.02%
-0.78%
32.66%
-1.43%
2021-22 33.00%
-2.08%
34.00%
-4.02%
32.00%
-0.66%
2022-23 30.89%
-2.11%
34.24%
0.24%
28.27%
-3.73%
2023-24 33.22%
2.33%
36.42%
2.18%
30.68%
2.41%
2024-25 29.79%
-3.43%
33.86%
-2.57%
26.55%
-4.13%
Average 40.97% 44.72% 37.81%
University of Nebraska-Lincoln enrollment rate trends chart showing historical yield changes from 2015 to 2025

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 15,822, the average number of admitted is 12,332, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 4,750.

The number of UNL applicants decreased by 2.80% (513 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 83.47% overall.

The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2015 to 2025.

YearApplicantsAdmittedEnrolled
2015-16 9,724 7,425 4,628
2016-17 11,193
15.11%
8,425
13.47%
4,860
5.01%
2017-18 14,947
33.54%
9,623
14.22%
4,905
0.93%
2018-19 14,956
0.06%
11,906
23.72%
4,816
-1.81%
2019-20 16,829
12.52%
13,165
10.57%
4,775
-0.85%
2020-21 17,495
3.96%
13,601
3.31%
4,771
-0.08%
2021-22 17,775
1.60%
14,398
5.86%
4,751
-0.42%
2022-23 19,102
7.47%
15,022
4.33%
4,640
-2.34%
2023-24 18,354
-3.92%
14,146
-5.83%
4,699
1.27%
2024-25 17,841
-2.80%
15,609
10.34%
4,650
-1.04%
Average 15,822 12,332 4,750
University of Nebraska-Lincoln - 10 Year Applicants, Admissions, and Enrollment Trends Chart

Compare Acceptance Rate Change to Similar Colleges

The following table compares University of Nebraska-Lincoln' acceptance rate to similar schools.

20242025Change %
University of Nebraska-Lincoln77.07%87.49% 13.52%
Michigan State University84.80%83.92% 1.05%
Purdue University-Main Campus49.87%50.30% -0.85%
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign42.37%43.69% -3.02%
University of Wisconsin-Madison45.20%43.35% 4.27%
Rutgers University-New Brunswick58.15%65.35% -11.02%

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