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NENebraska rankings

Towns with the highest high school graduation rates in Nebraska

Ranked by the four-year high school graduation rate of each town's public school district, class of 2020. Towns that share a regional district share its rate and its rank (T = tied). The Nebraska rate is 86%. 52 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-yearClass of 2020

Gretna 1 Gretna 98% Gretna Public Schools Blair 2 Blair 97% Blair Community Schools · tied Seward 2 Seward 97% Seward Public Schools · tied
#TownGraduation rateClass sizePopulation
1 Gretna GretnaGretna Public Schools 98% 318 9,193
T2 Blair BlairBlair Community Schools 97% 196 7,914
T2 Seward SewardSeward Public Schools 97% 131 7,678
T2 McCook McCookMcCook Public Schools 97% 117 7,314
T2 Holdrege HoldregeHoldrege Public Schools 97% 93 5,546
T2 Ogallala OgallalaOgallala Public Schools 97% 79 4,777
T2 Map of Waverly WaverlyWaverly School District 145 97% 143 4,440
T2 Map of Auburn AuburnAuburn Public Schools 97% 69 3,470
T2 Township 2Washington County · Blair Community Schools 97% 196 3,195
T2 Map of Central City Central CityCentral City Public Schools 97% 65 3,061
T2 Map of Hickman HickmanNorris School District 160 97% 174 3,004
T12 Papillion PapillionPapillion-La Vista Community Schools 95% 968 25,244
T12 La Vista La VistaPapillion-La Vista Community Schools 95% 968 16,563
T12 Lexington LexingtonLexington Public Schools 95% 238 10,862
T15 Bellevue BellevueBellevue Public Schools 92% 782 64,510
T15 Norfolk NorfolkNorfolk Public Schools 92% 328 26,054
T15 Map of Chalco ChalcoMillard Public Schools 92% 1,853 10,595
T15 Map of York YorkYork Public Schools 92% 114 8,141
T15 Plattsmouth PlattsmouthPlattsmouth Community Schools 92% 140 6,731
T15 Sidney SidneySidney Public Schools 92% 87 6,419
T15 Map of Offutt AFB Offutt AFBBellevue Public Schools 92% 782 6,074
T15 Map of Wahoo WahooWahoo Public Schools 92% 82 4,929
T15 Aurora AuroraAurora Public Schools 92% 99 4,664
T15 Map of Falls City Falls CityFalls City Public Schools 92% 64 4,077
T15 Map of West Point West PointWest Point Public Schools 92% 68 3,471
T15 Map of Gothenburg GothenburgGothenburg Public Schools 92% 76 3,452
T15 Columbus ColumbusPlatte County · Lakeview Community Schools 92% 66 3,313
T15 Map of Valley ValleyDouglas County West Community Schools 92% 74 3,174
T15 Map of Ashland AshlandSaunders County · Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools 92% 71 3,071
T30 Kearney KearneyKearney Public Schools 91% 374 34,246
T30 Map of North Platte North PlatteNorth Platte Public Schools 91% 312 22,831
32 Scottsbluff ScottsbluffScottsbluff Public Schools 88% 247 14,376
T33 Map of Fremont FremontFremont Public Schools 87% 403 27,567
T33 Map of Hastings HastingsHastings Public Schools 87% 272 25,008
T33 Map of Beatrice BeatriceBeatrice Public Schools 87% 145 12,225
T33 Map of Gering GeringGering Public Schools 87% 143 8,550
T33 Wayne WayneWayne Community Schools 87% 82 6,121
T33 Cozad CozadCozad Community Schools 87% 69 3,937
T39 Columbus ColumbusColumbus Public Schools 86% 318 24,488
T39 Map of South Sioux City South Sioux CitySouth Sioux City Community Schools 86% 315 13,907
T39 Map of Dakota City Dakota CitySouth Sioux City Community Schools 86% 315 2,675
T42 Map of Ralston RalstonRalston Public Schools 84% 263 6,472
T42 Fairbury FairburyFairbury Public Schools 84% 56 3,888
T42 O'Neill O'NeillO'Neill Public Schools 84% 58 3,570
T42 St. Paul St. PaulSt. Paul Public Schools 84% 36 2,758
46 Grand Island Grand IslandGrand Island Public Schools 83% 699 52,884
T47 Map of Alliance AllianceAlliance Public Schools 82% 130 8,075
T47 Map of Crete CreteCrete Public Schools 82% 155 7,527
T47 Nebraska City Nebraska CityNebraska City Public Schools 82% 96 7,369
50 Lincoln LincolnLincoln Public Schools 81% 2,922 294,856
51 Map of Schuyler SchuylerSchuyler Community Schools 77% 154 6,578
52 Omaha OmahaOmaha Public Schools 73% 3,707 488,837

How this ranking works

Each town gets the four-year graduation rate of the public school district that runs its high school for the class of 2020: the share of students who started ninth grade together and earned a regular diploma within four years, counting students who transferred in and out. Every state computes it the same federal way. Where a regional district serves several towns, they all share its rate and its rank.

We leave out a town split between high school districts, a district whose class had fewer than 20 students, and one the Department of Education reports only as a wide range (such as 50–100%). Those numbers are too uncertain to rank. The Department also publishes most rates in bands rather than exact figures (a rate between 95% and 99% is shown as 97%), which is why many towns tie. Graduation data: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Each district's page shows its rate against the state.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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