The best bachelor's in human resources programs in Nebraska reveals that HR Managers earn a median salary of $140,030 with 5% projected job growth through 2034 (BLS OES 2024). Top-ranked Bachelor's HR programs include University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Kearney based on graduation rates, program strength, and career outcomes.
14
Programs Ranked
$7,336
Avg Tuition
$140,030
HR Manager Salary
1
SHRM-Aligned
Bachelor's in Human Resources Programs in Nebraska: Overview
Omaha's corporate density gives Nebraska's bachelor's-level HR professionals access to employers that would be flagship opportunities in much larger cities. Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, Kiewit, and TD Ameritrade (Schwab) all headquarter operations here, creating a market where a bachelor's degree in human resources leads to Fortune 500 HR departments without the cost-of-living penalty of New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. Omaha's cost of living sits 14% below the national average, meaning a $65,000 HR salary here provides purchasing power equivalent to $78,000 in Chicago or $90,000 in San Francisco. This combination of corporate depth and affordability makes Omaha one of the strongest small-market HR cities in the country for bachelor's-level professionals.
Nebraska's new paid sick leave law (effective October 2025) represents the state's biggest employment compliance shift in years, adding leave tracking, accrual management, and coordination with existing benefit programs to every Nebraska HR professional's workload. Bellevue University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have both updated their HR curriculum to address this change, recognizing that their graduates will be the first cohort to implement the new requirements across Nebraska's employer base. The law affects every employer differently depending on their existing PTO structure, creating demand for HR generalists who can analyze current policies, design compliant leave tracking systems, and train managers on the new requirements. Union Pacific's railroad-specific labor framework adds additional complexity, as Railroad Labor Act provisions intersect differently with state leave mandates.
HR managers in Nebraska earn a median salary of $119,600 (BLS OES May 2024), with Omaha's corporate employers pushing senior roles above $130,000. Bachelor's graduates typically start between $44,000 and $52,000 in HR generalist or coordinator roles, with insurance companies and Union Pacific among the largest hirers. The state's 9 bachelor's HR programs collectively produce a graduate pool that is smaller than Omaha's corporate demand, which keeps local hiring competitive and salaries above what the state's population size might suggest. Bellevue University's adult-focused program serves working professionals already embedded in Omaha corporations, while UNO's traditional program builds internship pipelines into the same employers, giving Nebraska graduates strong placement rates.
Nebraska HR Bachelor's Comparison
HR Industry Tracks in Nebraska
Managing HR policies across diverse business units within holding companies like Berkshire Hathaway, where subsidiary autonomy creates unique challenges in standardization, shared services, and corporate culture alignment across industries from railroads to insurance to retail.
Navigating Railroad Labor Act requirements, managing union relationships with Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and United Transportation Union, coordinating crew scheduling compliance, and administering railroad-specific benefits including Railroad Retirement.
Staffing geographically dispersed project sites, managing prevailing wage compliance (Davis-Bacon), coordinating OSHA 30 training requirements, and building seasonal hiring pipelines for Kiewit and other major Nebraska construction employers.
Implementing Nebraska's new paid sick leave law (October 2025), including building accrual tracking systems, training managers on request handling, updating employee handbooks, and ensuring coordination between state sick leave and any existing employer PTO policies.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Why #1: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Scored 65/100 on the HR Program Quality Index, which evaluates program output, curriculum quality (including SHRM alignment), student success, institutional resources, and data transparency using IPEDS 2023 data.
Ranked #1 in Nebraska for bachelor's human resources programs with a score of 65/100, based on program output, curriculum quality, student success, and institutional resources according to IPEDS 2023 data.
Program Highlights
- 338 annual HR graduates
Key Strengths
- 338 annual HR graduates
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Why #2: University of Nebraska at Omaha
The only SHRM-aligned, AACSB-accredited HRM program in the University of Nebraska system with over 60 years of business accreditation.
UNO College of Business Administration offers a BSBA with HRM concentration, AACSB-accredited since 1965. The 120-credit program is the only SHRM-aligned option in the University of Nebraska system.
Program Highlights
- SHRM-aligned curriculum
- Specializations: HRM concentration
- AACSB-accredited since 1965
- Only SHRM-aligned program in NU system
- 103 annual HR graduates (IPEDS 2023)
Key Strengths
- SHRM-aligned curriculum
- Specializations: HRM concentration
- AACSB-accredited since 1965
- Only SHRM-aligned program in NU system
Admissions
- GPA: 2.5
Program
- 120 credits
Prerequisites
University admission requirements
Sources
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Why #3: University of Nebraska at Kearney
Scored 58/100 on the HR Program Quality Index, which evaluates program output, curriculum quality (including SHRM alignment), student success, institutional resources, and data transparency using IPEDS 2023 data.
Ranked #3 in Nebraska for bachelor's human resources programs with a score of 58/100, based on program output, curriculum quality, student success, and institutional resources according to IPEDS 2023 data.
Program Highlights
- 119 annual HR graduates
Key Strengths
- 119 annual HR graduates
| 1 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | Public | $8,010 | 338 | 65 |
| 2 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | Omaha, NE | Public | $6,536 | 103 | 59.5 |
| 3 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Kearney, NE | Public | $6,480 | 119 | 58 |
| 4 | Bellevue University | Bellevue, NE | Private | $8,136 | 485 | 57.8 |
| 5 | Wayne State College | Wayne, NE | Public | $5,760 | 155 | 57.6 |
| 6 | Hastings College | Hastings, NE | Private | $33,950 | 45 | 51.4 |
| 7 | Creighton University | Omaha, NE | Private | $45,000 | 38 | 47.6 |
| 8 | Chadron State College | Chadron, NE | Public | $5,376 | 89 | 45.6 |
| 9 | Peru State College | Peru, NE | Public | $5,760 | 62 | 43.8 |
| 10 | York University | York, NE | Private | $21,100 | 40 | 42.2 |
| 11 | Doane University | Crete, NE | Private | $39,336 | 51 | 40.5 |
| 12 | College of Saint Mary | Omaha, NE | Private | $23,340 | 4 | 38.5 |
| 13 | Midland University | Fremont, NE | Private | $39,370 | 20 | 38.2 |
| 14 | Union Adventist University | Lincoln, NE | Private | $26,640 | 18 | 34.6 |
Career Paths
Entry-level role handling recruitment, onboarding, benefits administration, and employee records.
Leads HR department operations, develops policies, manages staff, and advises leadership on workforce strategy.
Designs pay structures, conducts salary surveys, ensures pay equity compliance.
Designs and delivers employee training programs, assesses skill gaps.
Strategic role aligning HR initiatives with business goals.
Nebraska HR Bachelor's Programs FAQ
Bachelor's in Human Resources Programs in Nearby States
HR completions volume, CIP breadth, multi-level depth
SHRM alignment (+15), AACSB (+10) or ACBSP (+5)
IPEDS 6-year graduation rate
Carnegie 2021 classification
IPEDS reporting completeness
Data Sources & Methodology
Rankings based on the 5-factor HR Program Quality Index: Program Output (30%), Curriculum Quality including SHRM alignment (25%), Student Success (25%), Institutional Resources (15%), and Data Transparency (5%). Data from IPEDS 2023 and BLS OES May 2024.
- 1.IPEDS 2023 — Program completions, tuition, enrollment, and graduation rates
- 2.Bureau of Labor Statistics OES 2024 — Occupational employment and wage statistics for HR roles
- 3.SHRM — HR curriculum standards and certification requirements
Last updated: February 2026
Related HR Bachelor's Degree Resources
Taylor Rupe
Education Researcher & Data Analyst
B.A. Psychology, University of Washington · B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State University
Taylor combines training in behavioral science with data analysis to evaluate HR education programs. His research methodology uses IPEDS completion data, BLS employment statistics, and SHRM alignment data to produce evidence-based program rankings.