Master’s in Data Science Programs in Nebraska

Nebraska calls to mind the Oregon Trail, endless cornfields, and wide-open plains before it calls to mind data science. But Omaha, Warren Buffett’s hometown, quietly ranks among the most corporate-headquarters-dense cities in the country: as of the 2025 Fortune 500 list, the city is home to four Fortune 500 companies — Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Kiewit, and Mutual of Omaha — more than similarly sized cities like Austin, Indianapolis, or San Diego. That concentration of large, established headquarters, plus Lincoln’s own cluster of insurance and financial services firms an hour down the road, built a data-skills economy centered on professional and technical services: computer systems design, data analytics consulting, and financial risk modeling for the corporations that call the state home. Nebraska pairs a public flagship university system with a cluster of private colleges, so prospective students can choose from data science, applied data science, data analytics, business analytics, and artificial intelligence programs delivered on campus, in a hybrid format, or fully online. Some of these programs are housed within large research universities in Lincoln and Omaha, while others are offered by smaller private colleges built specifically for adult and working professionals.

This guide covers data science master’s programs in Nebraska, online alternatives, certificates and bootcamps, scholarships, networking opportunities, salary data, and career resources across the state.

Studying Data Science in Nebraska

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research tracked this trend directly in an October 2024 report: Nebraska’s professional, scientific, and technical services (PSTS) sector, which includes computer systems design and data analytics consulting, grew employment 16.74% between 2014 and 2023, and kept adding jobs even during the 2020 pandemic recession. The sector also pays well: in 2023, Nebraska’s PSTS jobs carried a mean weekly wage of $1,665, roughly 46% above the state’s $1,139 average across all industries. That growth shows up in the broader numbers, too. Federal GDP-by-state data shows Nebraska’s PSTS sector grew from $5.85 billion to $7.88 billion between 2020 and 2024, a 34.7% increase in just four years. It’s concentrated in the state’s two metro areas: BLS wage data for the Omaha metro area shows computer and mathematical occupations made up 3.5% of local employment as of May 2024, slightly above the 3.4% national share, with a mean wage of $47.09 an hour. For data science students, the practical takeaway is straightforward: professional and technical services firms, not the agricultural sector Nebraska is best known for, are where the state’s data-skills demand is concentrated and growing, even though the sector itself remains proportionally smaller in Nebraska than it is nationwide.

That demand clusters unevenly across a state that runs nearly 500 miles from the Missouri River to the Wyoming border, with very different local economies along the way:

• Omaha metro. As Nebraska’s largest city and a Fortune 500 hub, Omaha has by far the state’s largest concentration of employers in healthcare, insurance, financial services, transportation, logistics, defense, and professional services. Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Kiewit, and Mutual of Omaha anchor the corporate side, alongside ConAgra Brands and Gallup, the international polling and analytics firm, which hires data engineers and researchers to build its survey infrastructure. On the defense side, Offutt Air Force Base, headquarters to U.S. Strategic Command, just south of the city, brings in cleared defense contractors such as Leidos to support intelligence, space, and cyber operations work. Omaha is also home to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the state’s academic health science center and a major source of clinical and biomedical data research, alongside the University of Nebraska Omaha, Creighton University, Bellevue University, and Metropolitan Community College. The broader Omaha labor market extends into nearby Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Gretna, and Fremont, and further still into Council Bluffs and western Iowa, though the programs and employers in this guide stay centered on the Nebraska side.
• Lincoln and Southeast Nebraska. As the state capital and home to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln has a distinct market shaped by state government, higher education, insurance, and a homegrown technology sector. Hudl, the sports analytics company founded by UNL graduates, and Nelnet, a student loan servicer and fintech company, both recruit data scientists and analysts, alongside Ameritas, a Lincoln-based insurance and financial services company, and Sandhills Global, a publisher of equipment marketplaces that builds machine learning into its products. UNL’s School of Computing, Holland Computing Center, and the university-linked Nebraska Innovation Campus research park anchor the local research ecosystem. Education options extend beyond UNL to Nebraska Wesleyan University and Southeast Community College, both also based in Lincoln.
• Grand Island, Kearney, and Central Nebraska. This region’s economy centers on food processing, agriculture, and manufacturing, with major employers such as JBS USA and Cargill operating processing plants around Grand Island, and Baldwin Filters, a global filtration manufacturer, based in Kearney. Healthcare is a significant employer too, through CHI Health’s St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island and Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. University of Nebraska at Kearney offers a data analytics minor and cyber-systems coursework, and Hastings College and Central Community College, which have campuses across Grand Island, Kearney, Columbus, and Hastings, round out the region’s education options. Agricultural data work here increasingly touches precision agriculture and irrigation: the University of Nebraska’s Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, headquartered at UNL, works on drone-based crop-moisture monitoring and smart irrigation metering across Nebraska’s heavily irrigated central counties.
• Norfolk, Columbus, and Northeast Nebraska. This region’s economy runs on manufacturing and food processing: Nucor Steel and Tyson Fresh Meats both operate major plants in Norfolk, while Columbus is home to Becton Dickinson, a medical device manufacturer, Behlen Manufacturing, an agricultural equipment maker, and the headquarters of Nebraska Public Power District, the state’s largest electric utility. Faith Regional Health Services adds a healthcare layer in Norfolk. Northeast Community College in Norfolk and Wayne State College, about 30 miles away, are the region’s main education anchors.
• North Platte and Western Nebraska. Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte, the world’s largest railroad classification yard, sorts around 3,000 railcars a day and handles over 10,000 daily, employing more than 2,600 people. This makes rail logistics, real-time car sorting, routing, and fleet tracking the region’s most distinctive source of data work. Agriculture, livestock, and energy round out the local economy, and the surrounding Sandhills add a genuine water and natural-resource data dimension given the region’s role atop the Ogallala Aquifer. Mid-Plains Community College, based in North Platte, is the region’s primary education anchor, alongside regional and online programs from Nebraska’s universities.
• Scottsbluff and the Nebraska Panhandle. Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff is the Panhandle’s largest employer, and agriculture remains central through Western Sugar Cooperative and the Panhandle Cooperative Association. The University of Nebraska’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center near Scottsbluff conducts applied research in precision agriculture, including AI- and IoT-based crop monitoring and irrigation systems for the region’s sugar beet, dry bean, and livestock producers. Western Nebraska Community College and Chadron State College, about two hours north, are the region’s education anchors.

For students living outside the Omaha-Lincoln corridor, geography is a real constraint on where in-person data science work happens: regional colleges across Central, Northeast, Western, and Panhandle Nebraska build workforce-ready skills more than dedicated data science degrees, and nearly all in-person graduate options cluster in the state’s two largest cities. That concentration is part of why an online master’s program is worth exploring for students located elsewhere in the state.

Online Data Science Master’s Degrees in Nebraska

Online programs may suit Nebraska students who want graduate-level training without relocating to Omaha or Lincoln, and they can also suit working professionals who want to keep their current job while studying.

How to Compare Online Data Science Master’s Degrees

When comparing online programs, there is a lot to consider. To start, cover the basics by understanding the following 5 key factors:

• Can you enroll as a Nebraska resident? Is the school authorized to enroll students from your area, and does it hold institutional accreditation?
• What does the curriculum cover? Are there any specialties you’re interested in? Look for statistics, programming, machine learning, databases, visualization, ethics, and applied projects.
• What prerequisites are required? This might include prior coursework in programming, statistics, calculus, linear algebra, or computer science.
• How are classes delivered? Synchronous, asynchronous, or a blend of both? Does the schedule work with your lifestyle and other obligations?
• What support is available to online students? Does this include career services, faculty access, technical resources, and networking opportunities?

Online Nebraska Graduate Data Science Programs

Nebraska participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) through Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE), the state’s SARA portal agency. In practice, this means Nebraska residents can enroll in most accredited online master’s programs offered outside the state without encountering state-authorization barriers, and it also means Nebraska has a handful of genuinely fully online in-state options of its own. Students should still confirm current program modality, admissions requirements, tuition, and state availability directly with each school before applying.

• University of Nebraska–Lincoln: Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Master of Science in Business Analytics - Lincoln, NE. UNL’s School of Computing offers a fully online, non-thesis M.S. in Artificial Intelligence, delivered in 8-week course blocks, that covers core AI topics such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, with the option to apply those techniques to other fields, including data science. Separately, UNL’s College of Business offers a fully online, 30-credit M.S. in Business Analytics that covers data mining, prescriptive analytics, and business system simulation over roughly two years; the GMAT or GRE is optional for both programs.
• Creighton University: Master of Science in Business Analytics - Omaha, NE. This fully online program from Creighton’s Heider College of Business covers descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, data visualization, and database management, and can typically be completed in just over two years. It does not require the GRE or GMAT for applicants with a 3.0 GPA and relevant work experience, which may suit working professionals who want a business-facing analytics credential.
• Bellevue University: Master of Science in Data Science and Master of Science in Business Analytics - Bellevue, NE. Bellevue’s 30-credit M.S. in Data Science is available fully online and covers Python, R, Tableau, and Power BI alongside machine learning, generative AI, and big data infrastructure, ending in a capstone portfolio project; its required curriculum leaves no room for electives, which may suit students who want a straightforward, structured path into the field. Its separate 36-credit M.S. in Business Analytics, also available fully online, blends organizational leadership, IT systems, and statistical and quantitative methods for students who want a more business-management-oriented credential. Neither program requires the GRE or GMAT, and both ask only for a 2.5 GPA.

Learn more about what to look for in an online master’s in data science program in our guide.

In-State Data Science Master’s Programs and Related Degrees in Nebraska

The programs below are Nebraska’s options that require substantial time on campus or in a clinical setting, not just occasional check-ins. They are verified options, not a ranked list, and program focus and structure vary.

• University of Nebraska Omaha: Master of Science in Data Science - Omaha, NE. UNO classifies this as a “Traditional” program, meaning it requires regular on-campus attendance in Omaha rather than being completable through asynchronous online coursework. The 36-credit degree is designed to take 24 months and is jointly offered across UNO’s College of Business Administration, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Information Science & Technology. Students choose a concentration in Business, Data Science for Health Sciences, Information Technology, Interdisciplinary, or Statistical and Decision Sciences, and finish with either a capstone project or a thesis.
• Nebraska Methodist College: Master of Science in Nursing, Nursing Informatics track - Omaha, NE. This 36-credit, two-year program combines online coursework with 200 required hours of supervised clinical practicum, a substantial in-person commitment despite the college’s own “online format” marketing language, which makes it hybrid rather than fully remote. It’s built for registered nurses moving into the informaticist role, using healthcare data to shape system-wide patient care policy, and for graduates, who become eligible for informatics certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Data Science Programs in Nebraska

Programs included in this table were last reviewed in July 2026.

Data Science Certificates, Bootcamps, and Courses

A master’s degree isn’t the only path into data work. Graduate certificates, bootcamps, and standalone courses offer more targeted, often faster training for students who want specific skills without a full degree program. These options vary widely in cost, format, and rigor, so students should compare carefully and confirm directly with the school or provider whether certificate credits can apply toward a future master’s degree.

Online Nebraska Graduate Certificate Programs in Data Science and Related Fields

Nebraska has several verified online graduate certificate options. Students should confirm current admissions requirements, tuition, and credit-transfer policies directly with each school.

• University of Nebraska–Lincoln: Business Analytics Graduate Certificate. This 12-credit, fully online certificate consists of four 8-week methods courses covering econometrics, data mining, and strategic database marketing, and its credits can roll directly into UNL’s M.S. in Business Analytics. UNL’s School of Computing also offers a separate 15-credit Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence, but that program is delivered on campus in Lincoln rather than online, so students who need a fully remote option should plan around the Business Analytics certificate instead.
• Creighton University: Business Analytics Graduate Certificate. This 15-credit, online certificate from the Heider College of Business can be completed in about a year, and its credits apply toward Creighton’s M.S. in Business Analytics for students who choose to continue.
• Bellevue University: Data Science Foundations Certificate of Completion. This three-course, fully online graduate certificate introduces Python, R, and core data science vocabulary and tools, and requires no prior coding experience, making it accessible to students exploring the field for the first time.

Data Science Boot Camps in Nebraska

Data science and data analytics bootcamps are intensive, non-degree programs intended to build applied skills quickly, often through hands-on projects rather than semester-long coursework. Bootcamps may be offered through university continuing education divisions or third-party education partners, so students should confirm the credentials awarded, tuition, schedule, refund policies, and career support before enrolling.

University Affiliated Bootcamps in Nebraska

• University of Nebraska–Lincoln: Business Analytics Certification Course. Delivered through UNL’s continuing education partnership with Ziplines Education, this 10-week, fully online, non-credit course teaches SQL, Tableau, and AI-powered analytics techniques through on-demand content plus optional weekly live sessions. Students who complete it earn a University of Nebraska–Lincoln-issued certificate of completion and prepare for the Salesforce Certified Tableau Desktop Foundations Exam.

Private Data Science Bootcamps in Nebraska

Omaha Data Science Academy is a private, Omaha-based provider offering cohort-based certificate programs in data visualization, business intelligence, data engineering, machine learning, and (coming in 2026) artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, taught by working professionals and structured for adult learners. Because private bootcamps vary widely, students should confirm all details directly with the provider.

Learn more about data science boot camps and how they differ from graduate programs.

Data Science Courses in Nebraska

Individual courses can help students build specific skills before committing to a certificate or master’s program. The University of Nebraska Omaha’s Executive and Professional Development Program offers standalone, non-degree training for working professionals who want targeted skills without enrolling in a full certificate or degree program.

• University of Nebraska Omaha: Business Analysis Certificate, offered through UNO’s Executive and Professional Development Program in both classroom and asynchronous online formats.

Learn more about individual course options in our guide to online data science courses.

Data Science Scholarships in Nebraska

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

• UNL Graduate Studies Funding covers tuition fellowships, the Presidential and Fling Fellowships, and departmental graduate assistantships available to graduate students across UNL programs, including the School of Computing and the College of Business.

University of Nebraska Omaha

• UNO’s guide to affording graduate education outlines graduate assistantships, tuition waivers, and other funding resources available to UNO graduate students, including those in the M.S. in Data Science program.

Creighton University

• Heider College of Business Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Waivers: Full-time students who work 20 hours a week on faculty research can receive 18 credit hours of tuition per year plus a monthly stipend for up to two years. Part-time students aren’t eligible for assistantships but can apply for a tuition waiver covering half the cost of one class, up to two waivers total across the program.

Bellevue University

• Bellevue University Financial Aid outlines funding options for graduate students, including work-study, employer tuition assistance and reimbursement, military and veteran benefits, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility for graduates working in qualifying nonprofit or government roles.

Service-for-Tuition and Loan Repayment Programs

Nebraska’s state-funded loan repayment programs are restricted to healthcare: the Nebraska Loan Repayment Program and the related National Health Service Corps state program offer up to $200,000 in loan relief, but only for primary care, dental, mental health, and allied health professionals who agree to practice in rural, state-designated shortage areas. There is no comparable state-funded scholarship-for-service or loan-repayment program tied to data science, computing, or technology roles in Nebraska, a useful negative finding for students weighing their financing options against states that do offer computing-specific service scholarships.

Statewide Resources

• Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE), Nebraska’s state financial aid portal, administers the Nebraska Opportunity Grant and other state-level student aid programs, and also serves as the state’s SARA portal agency.
• NC-SARA can help students understand state authorization for distance education programs based outside of Nebraska.

Data Science Events in Nebraska

Nebraska’s data science community is concentrated in the Omaha-Lincoln corridor and leans on both dedicated data meetups and broader tech and AI communities. Students elsewhere in the state may need to rely on the state’s larger annual conferences or online participation in these groups.

Data Science Meetups and Communities in Nebraska

• Nebraska Data and Analytics Forum is an active group, originally Omaha-based and now expanding into Lincoln as well, that meets regularly to connect data and analytics leaders from the region’s top companies, with recent sessions covering topics such as enterprise data modernization and how organizations like Nebraska Public Media use data, open-source tools, and AI.
• Lincoln AI meets monthly at venues around Lincoln, including the Nebraska Innovation Studio and Don’t Panic Labs, to discuss AI and machine learning theory and applications through informal presentations and demos.
• AI Tinkerers Lincoln/Omaha is a hands-on, builder-focused chapter of the global AI Tinkerers network, hosting quarterly meetups centered on live demos and technical discussion of AI agents, generative AI infrastructure, and production AI systems for engineers and founders actively building AI products.

Data Science Conferences and Workshops in Nebraska

• Nebraska.Code(), held annually in Lincoln, is the state’s largest professional software development conference, with tracks covering AI/ML, cloud architecture, and data alongside broader software development topics.
• The Nebraska Data & AI Summit, held annually and focused on government innovation, brings together public-sector data leaders and technology partners to explore data-driven and AI-based approaches to public services.
• The Nebraska Data Conference, hosted annually by the Nebraska Department of Education in Kearney, focuses on data quality, cybersecurity, and data-driven decision-making primarily for K-12 and postsecondary data stewards and technologists.

Data Science Jobs in Nebraska

Data science roles can involve collecting, cleaning, analyzing, modeling, visualizing, and communicating data. In Nebraska, these roles appear across finance and insurance, transportation and logistics, defense and government contracting, healthcare, and food and agricultural processing, often concentrated among large employers headquartered in Omaha or Lincoln rather than evenly distributed across the state. A master’s degree may help students build advanced skills, but it does not guarantee employment, a specific salary, or the title of data scientist. Prior experience, technical projects, internships, networking, portfolio work, and interview preparation can also affect job opportunities. Explore related paths in our data science careers and data scientist career guide.

Data Scientist Salaries in Nebraska

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, data scientists in Nebraska earned a median annual wage of $98,230 in May 2025, with the lowest 10% earning $66,230 or less and the highest 10% earning $133,140 or more.

Students may also want to compare related occupations. Salary data can vary by location, industry, experience, education, and employer. The figures below are occupational wage figures, not guarantees of outcomes for graduates.

The table below uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for Nebraska.

Interested in STEM Careers?

If you’re looking for information on career paths that involve data science, analytics, technology, and related STEM fields, see our guides below.

Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Information Careers

• Computer Engineer
• Computer Scientist
• Information Security Analyst
• Computer and Information Research Scientist
• Computer Systems Analyst

Marketing and User Research Careers

• Marketing Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Digital Marketer
• UX Designer

Compare Careers and STEM Fields

• Data Analyst vs. Data Scientist
• Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering
• Cybersecurity vs. Computer Science
• Data Analytics vs. Business Analytics
• Data Science vs. Machine Learning

Related Graduate STEM Degrees

Related Undergraduate STEM Degrees

• Online Bachelor’s in Data Science
• Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science

Nebraska Data Science, Tech, and Career Resources

• Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE): State agency for institutional authorization, SARA participation, and Nebraska’s financial aid programs.
• Nebraska Department of Labor, Office of Labor Market Information (NEworks): State labor market data source for employment projections, wage data, and industry and occupational trends.
• Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED): State economic development agency supporting business growth and workforce initiatives.
• NebraskaMAP: Nebraska’s GIS open data hub, useful for portfolio projects, civic data exploration, and geospatial analytics.
• AIM Institute: Omaha-based nonprofit supporting Nebraska’s tech workforce through education, career development, and events such as Infotec and the Heartland Developers Conference.
• NC-SARA: National source for understanding state authorization reciprocity for distance education.