Mid-Plains Community College
#1 Most Affordable Colleges in Nebraska- Graduation Rate
- 49% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $40,059 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $5,235 A
- 69% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 937
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 45.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $45.1 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Most Affordable Colleges in Nebraska.
Every $1 spent returns $45.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $923,500.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Every $1 invested returns $45.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Mid-Plains Community College Matters
Mid-Plains Community College is a public community college in North Platte, NE and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 937
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Mechanic & Repair Tech
Why students choose Mid-Plains Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $5,235 a year after grants and scholarships — 69% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $40,059 ten years after enrolling — 2% below the typical college, against $9,995 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 31% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.24 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Mid-Plains Community College might be a great fit for you if you're looking for a practical education that prepares you for real-world jobs. With around 937 students, it has a close-knit feel. You can dive into programs like Health Professions, Business & Marketing, or Construction Trades, which are designed to help you develop skills that employers value.
When it comes to life after graduation, students at Mid-Plains can expect to earn around $40,059 after ten years in the workforce. This figure suggests that graduates are finding their footing and building careers in their chosen fields. The affordability of the college is a big plus, too, with a net price of just $5,235 after financial aid, making it accessible for many students.
Looking at the numbers, the median debt for graduates is $9,995, which is relatively manageable. This means that most students leave with a debt load that is not overwhelming. Those who thrive here tend to be the ones seeking a straightforward path to a career without incurring significant financial burdens. It’s about finding a balance between education and practical job readiness, which Mid-Plains seems to deliver well.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Mid-Plains Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Mid-Plains Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Mid-Plains Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 49%.
- Retention Rate
- 63%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 25%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $7,781
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 11:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.45
- First-Gen Students
- 40%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Mid-Plains Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Mid-Plains Community College is $4,530, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,235. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,853 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,995 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $3,600
- Out-of-State
- $4,530
- Avg Net Price
- $5,235
- Median Debt
- $9,995
- Pell Grant Rate
- 18%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 11%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $4,853
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $3,390
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $4,329
- Family Income $110K+
- $10,031
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Mid-Plains Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Mid-Plains Community College report median earnings of $40,059, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $34,852
- 8 Years
- $37,587
- 10 Years
- $40,059
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.25x
- Earning > $25K
- 50%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (113)
- 34%
- 100% (113)
- 34%
- 100% (113)
- 34%
- 100% (113)
- 34%
How Mid-Plains Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Mid-Plains Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Mid-Plains Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,235/year ($20,940 total). Graduates earn $40,059 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $944,440 in total earnings — a net gain of $923,500 (45.1× your investment). The median debt is $9,995, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 49% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $20,940
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $944,440
- Net Return
- $923,500
- ROI Multiple
- 45.1×
- Cost Per Year
- $5,235
- Median Debt
- $9,995
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 49%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Mid-Plains Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Mid-Plains Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.91%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 15.1% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $57,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.91%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 12.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 15.1%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $57,000
Top Programs
The fields Mid-Plains Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
- Humanities 47%
- Health Professions 19%
- Business & Marketing 11%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 10%
- Construction Trades 5%
- Precision Production 4%
- Visual & Performing Arts 3%
- Computer Science & IT 1%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Mid-Plains Community College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Mid-Plains Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Mid-Plains Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 49%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Mid-Plains Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Mid-Plains Community College is $4,530, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,235. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,853 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,995 in federal student loans.
Is Mid-Plains Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Mid-Plains Community College report median earnings of $40,059, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Mid-Plains Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Mid-Plains Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.91%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 15.1% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $57,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Mid-Plains Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Mid-Plains Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.24, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Mid-Plains Community College.
- Western Nebraska Community CollegeScottsbluff, NE · Close peer36% grad $38,729 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Redlands Community CollegeEl Reno, OK · Close peer34% grad $37,224 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size
- Warren County Community CollegeWashington, NJ · Close peer43% grad $43,359 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Columbia-Greene Community CollegeHudson, NY · Close peer40% grad $44,441 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Fulton-Montgomery Community CollegeJohnstown, NY · Close peer37% grad $39,535 earnWhy: similar earnings
- SUNY Corning Community CollegeCorning, NY · Close peer33% grad $38,817 earnWhy: similar earnings
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Mid-Plains Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Mid-Plains Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.24, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note