IDEA: An Online Higher Education Alliance

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IDEA site image

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a founding member and member of the Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA) since 2000, which is a consortium of 20 renowned public universities from across the United States, offering online degree and certificate programs in human sciences and agriculture. These transformative academic programs foster an expanded knowledge of skillset in your field of interest, in a flexible online learning environment. 

Through IDEA, you do not need to choose to study from just one university as you will receive engaging online instruction in high-demand professional fields from faculty across the country. Our faculty collaborate closely and have developed a student-centric online academic environment that maximizes learning and preparation for career advancement. 

Common Price Cost Across Member Universities

Through IDEA, students pay one common price per credit hour for undergraduate courses or graduate courses at all member universities regardless of the program or whether the student is in-state or out-of-state. The current common price is outlined in the table below. More detail on UNL tuition and fees can be found on the Student Accounts page. 

Graduate Course Cost

$610/credit hour

Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025

 

Undergraduate 
Course Cost

$440/credit hour

Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025

Credit hourCost for Graduate Course

 

Credit hourCost for Undergraduate Course
1$610

 

1$440
2$1,220

 

2$880
3$1,830

 

3$1,325

In accordance with Federal Financial Aid requirements, Nebraska provides an estimated Cost of Attendance as a standardized estimate of the overall cost of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a specific period. It represents the best estimate of expenses a student might expect to incur.

 

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln offers the following online programs through IDEA:

Undergraduate Degree Completion

Master's Degrees

Graduate Certificates

Student Story

Avatar for Elizabeth H. Foley
Elizabeth H. Foley

Pest Management: U.S. Air Force, Master of Entomology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

"Education has always been very important to me. I’m the first in my family to attend college as well as graduate school. For as long as I can remember education has been a priority for me. Higher education is also important for being able to do my job.

"My degree was available completely online. I was active duty and never knew when I would be moving or away on training. I took classes while stationed overseas and was a mother of two children under the age of 5.

"My degree coincided with my job so the information was pertinent and practical. One of my fears entering an online program was that it wouldn’t be as fulfilling as a traditional classroom setting, but I was pleasantly surprised when the lectures included PowerPoints with audio and video of the professor teaching, and student questions."