Chadron, NE · Public · Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
How to pay for Chadron State College
What a year costs here, what brings it down, and what a SmartTuition plan could save a family like yours.
Paying for four years here
Four years here, after grants
$53,195
A SmartTuition plan could save a family like this about $6,400.
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester, using your own numbers.
Build your SmartTuition plan for Chadron State College, $99 →Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get the monthly email.
A family of four with good credit and $500 a month for college. How we worked these out ↓
A year at Chadron State College
| Full price, in state | $20,554 |
| Full price, out of state | $20,554 |
| After grants, at your income | $12,355 |
At this income, 1 of Nebraska's other 9 colleges cost less after grants, and 8 cost more. See them all →
What can bring it down
Merit scholarships. Chadron State's State College Tuition Guarantee covers the tuition left after the Pell Grant for a new Pell-eligible student, resident or not. Room, board, books and fees are not covered (and 2 more below).
Pay less for college
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester.
At Chadron State College, our scenarios for Nebraska households with good parent credit show a SmartTuition plan saving a median of about $4,900 over four years. How we worked this out ↓
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Put your schools side by side →Merit scholarships
What Chadron State College says it awards for grades and test scores.
Chadron State's State College Tuition Guarantee covers the tuition left after the Pell Grant for a new Pell-eligible student, resident or not. Room, board, books and fees are not covered.
“The State College Tuition Guarantee ensures that Pell-eligible resident and non-resident students can attend Chadron State tuition-free.”
Chadron State sets a freshman scholarship by high school GPA: $8,000 a year at 3.75 or higher, $4,000 from 3.5, $2,000 from 3.25 and $1,500 from 3.0. A student applies for admission and sends a transcript.
“Merit Scholarship Requirements beginning Fall 2026: Scholarship Qualifications Amount President Scholars 3.75 to 4.0 Cumulative Unweighted GPA $8,000/year Eagle Scholars 3.5 to 3.74 Cumulative Unweighted GPA $4,000/year Dean Scholars 3.25 to 3.49 Cumulative Unweighted GPA $2,000/year Community Scholars 3.00 to 3.24 Cumulative Unweighted GPA $1,500/year”
The State College Board of Trustees offers competitive four-year full-tuition waivers at Chadron State to Nebraska high school graduates with a 25 ACT or 1200 SAT, or strong grades. A 3.0 GPA is the minimum.
“The Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees provides competitive four-year, full-tuition waivers for up to 18 credit hours of on-campus tuition to Nebraska high school graduates who score a 25 or above on their ACT/1200 on SAT/ or achieve a high school unweighted GPA that demonstrates academic excellence who plan to attend Chadron, Wayne or Peru State the following fall. A minimum 3.0 Unweighted GPA is required.”
How we worked these out
The family
A family of four with good parent credit and $500 a month to put toward college, and the savings you pick. In state, the grants are what Chadron State College reports families at that income got, on average. Your own will differ, and a family with no aid pays close to the full price. Out of state, there are no grants: the price is before any scholarship from the college.
What a SmartTuition plan saves
The difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest and the federal tax credit. For a family that lives in Nebraska, it also counts Nebraska's tax deduction for money you put through its 529 plan.
The $4,900 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving in Chadron State College's own scenarios. Each scenario is a household that lives in Nebraska, with an income from $45,000 to $200,000 and savings of none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price Chadron State College at the aid it reports for that income.
Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. The card above uses the same two. A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out.
The prices by income
- They describe students who got aid.
- “Over $110,000” has no upper limit, so it averages families just over $110,000 with far wealthier ones. A family at $115,000 should expect to pay less than it shows.
- Each range is reported on its own, so the prices do not always rise with income.
Where the prices come from
Where the prices come from: Chadron State College's own 2026-27 tuition, fees, housing and food, from its website, carried forward to 2027 at 3.0% a year. Books are the College Scorecard's. The grants are the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2025-26 figures), carried forward the same way. Each price after grants is the cost less those grants. The out-of-state figure uses the published out-of-state tuition instead. The average price after grants counts the students who get federal aid. Your own figure will be different.
SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Chadron State College. Aid policies change; check current terms with the college's aid office.
Nearby at your income
- Peru State College$7,988 a year
- Chadron State College$12,355 a year
- Wayne State College$13,803 a year
- University of Nebraska at Kearney$14,419 a year
What each college charges, less the average grant for your income. Every Nebraska college →