SAT Scores for Nebraska Colleges, School by School (2026-27)

For fall 2027 applicants, every school on this list, including Creighton, is test optional for general admission; the ACT or an SAT-equivalent score only becomes mandatory again for UNL's own Chancellor's and Regents automatic merit scholarships. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.

The table covers 9 colleges Nebraska families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers. The bottom rows show the score-based money Nebraska families can earn: UNL Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (in-state) and UNL Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment (in-state).

Nebraska college score profiles and cohort notes

Cohort notes: Creighton: Only 8% of Creighton's fall 2025 class submitted an SAT score (versus 40% for the ACT); scores are not required for admission. UNL: Nebraska's flagship; only 7% of its fall 2025 class submitted an SAT (81% submitted the ACT instead). Hastings: Thin sample: only 12 students (4% of the enrolled class) submitted an ACT, so this range is not very meaningful; no SAT range is reported at all. Nebraska Wesleyan: Only 23% of the class even submits an ACT; no SAT composite is reported, only section scores. UNO: UNO reports no SAT composite range; even the ACT is submitted by only 69% of its class. Concordia Nebraska: Fewer than 5 enrolled students submitted either test (1% each), so IPEDS suppresses the percentile range entirely. Doane: Doane publishes no SAT or ACT range at all for its enrolled class; admission runs on GPA. : Doane's own Common Data Set is not public (Doane-account login only). Wayne State: A public, Nebraska State College System option many families also consider; it has an open-admission policy and publishes no SAT/ACT data at all. These are not interchangeable measures.

School by school

Creighton University: 1280 to 1410

Creighton reports a 1280 to 1410 middle 50% SAT (submitted scores, enrolled fall 2025 (8% of class)). It admitted 92.2% of 6,389 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 26-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional for fall 2027; not required, considered if submitted. Only 8% of Creighton's fall 2025 class submitted an SAT score (versus 40% for the ACT); scores are not required for admission.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln: 1070 to 1310

UNL reports a 1070 to 1310 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (7% of class)). It admitted 87.7% of 18,648 applicants (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 21-28. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional for fall 2027 admission; a score is still required for UNL's own Chancellor's and Regents merit scholarships (see money below). Nebraska's flagship; only 7% of its fall 2025 class submitted an SAT (81% submitted the ACT instead).

University of Nebraska at Kearney: 903 to 1158

UNK reports a 903 to 1158 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (3% of class, n=28), CDS 2025-26 section C9). It admitted 85.7% of 5,226 applicants (Fall 2025 (4, 479 admitted / 5, 226 applied / 803 enrolled), CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 18-25. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (not required, considered if submitted).

Hastings College: No SAT composite published

Hastings does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 72% of 2,102 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 26-30. Testing for fall 2027: Test-blind for general admission; a score is required only for the Scott Scholars program. Thin sample: only 12 students (4% of the enrolled class) submitted an ACT, so this range is not very meaningful; no SAT range is reported at all.

Nebraska Wesleyan University: No SAT composite published (sections: EBRW 490-660, Math 530-630)

Nebraska Wesleyan does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 80% of 2,725 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 22-27. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (not required, considered if submitted). Only 23% of the class even submits an ACT; no SAT composite is reported, only section scores.

University of Nebraska at Omaha: No SAT composite published

UNO does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 87% of 9,246 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 19-26. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (not required, considered if submitted). UNO reports no SAT composite range; even the ACT is submitted by only 69% of its class.

Concordia University-Nebraska: Too few submitters to report

Concordia Nebraska does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 86% of 1,583 applicants (fall 2024). Testing for fall 2027: Test-blind for a 3.0+ GPA; a score is required only for conditional admission below a 2.9 GPA. Fewer than 5 enrolled students submitted either test (1% each), so IPEDS suppresses the percentile range entirely.

Doane University: No SAT or ACT range published

Doane does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 98% of 1,254 applicants (fall 2024). Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Doane publishes no SAT or ACT range at all for its enrolled class; admission runs on GPA. : Doane's own Common Data Set is not public (Doane-account login only).

Wayne State College: Not published

Wayne State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted Open admission (no rate published) (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Open admission; test scores are not used. A public, Nebraska State College System option many families also consider; it has an open-admission policy and publishes no SAT/ACT data at all.

What an SAT score pays at Nebraska colleges

Nebraska has no statewide SAT/ACT-cutoff scholarship. Its only state-level aid, the Nebraska Opportunity Grant, is need-based and not tied to a test score, so the clearest score-tied money in the state is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's own automatic merit grid.

UNL Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (in-state): ~1310 (ACT 28 or SAT equivalent). Up to $8,000/year ($4,000/semester) toward UNL tuition for up to 4 years; renewal needs a 3.500 cumulative GPA.

UNL Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment (in-state): ~1420-1440 (ACT 32 minimum, single sitting; SAT equivalent). Full UNL undergraduate tuition for up to 120 credit hours or a bachelor's degree, including differential tuition; needs a 3.500 cumulative GPA or the upper 25% of class rank to renew.

Both awards require a 3.500 cumulative GPA every year to renew (Regents also accepts top-25% class rank). The Regents award explicitly excludes ACT/SAT superscores and wants official scores by May 1 of senior year; whether Chancellor's excludes superscores is not stated . The SAT-equivalent figures use the College Board/ACT concordance table, since UNL's own pages state only the ACT number. Figures are for Nebraska residents; nonresidents have separate Chancellor's (out-of-state) and New Nebraskan Tuition awards.

The misconception: test optional means the SAT does not matter in Nebraska

Creighton, UNK, Nebraska Wesleyan and UNO are test optional for fall 2027, so many families assume the score is irrelevant. The ranges above come from the students who chose to send one, and they sit well above the overall class. UNL, Hastings and Concordia Nebraska still require a score. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.

Quick answers

What SAT score do you need for a merit scholarship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

There is no statewide Nebraska scholarship tied to the SAT, but UNL's own automatic awards are. An SAT score of about 1310 (ACT 28), with a 3.500 GPA, qualifies for the Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship, up to $8,000 a year. An SAT score of about 1420 to 1440 (ACT 32 in a single sitting, no superscore), with a 3.500 GPA or top-25% class rank, qualifies for the Regents Scholar award, full UNL tuition for up to four years.

Does the University of Nebraska-Lincoln require the SAT or ACT for admission?

No. UNL is test optional for fall 2027 applicants, so a score is not required to be admitted. It is still required if a family wants to be considered for UNL's own Chancellor's or Regents merit scholarships, which both set a minimum ACT or SAT-equivalent score.

Is the SAT or ACT given free at school in Nebraska?

Nebraska gives the ACT, not the SAT, free during the school day. State law has required every public high school junior to take the ACT, including the writing and science sections, at no cost since spring 2017.

What SAT score does Creighton University require?

Creighton does not require a score; it is test optional. Among the small share of applicants who do submit one, the middle 50% SAT range for the class that entered in fall 2025 was 1280 to 1410, and the middle 50% ACT range was 26 to 31.

Should a Nebraska student take the SAT or the ACT?

The ACT is the default in Nebraska: it is free at school, and most Nebraska colleges and families work with it (81% of UNL's class submits an ACT versus 7% for the SAT). That said, a Nebraska resident can still use an SAT score toward UNL's scholarship tiers above, since UNL converts it to an ACT-equivalent, so a student who tests better on the SAT format is not boxed out of that money.

Are these ranges cutoffs?

No. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not an admission cutoff. Some rows describe enrolled students or score submitters only, as labeled. A position within a range does not guarantee admission or merit aid.

More for Nebraska families

• SAT prep in Nebraska
• Nebraska SAT test dates for 2026-27
• Find your teen's target score

Sources

University and state sources: Creighton, UNL, UNK, Hastings, Nebraska Wesleyan, UNO, Concordia Nebraska, Doane, Wayne State, UNL Chancellor's Tuition Scholarship (in-state), UNL Regents Scholar Tuition Commitment (in-state). Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.