While there are more private universities and liberal arts colleges in the state of Nebraska than there are public universities, there are still two significant university and college systems within the state designed to oversee public higher education. The University of Nebraska System comprises of five campuses, with the main campus being the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The Nebraska College System is governed by a publicly-elected board and is the administrative board for the three public colleges within the state. In addition to the two systems, there are four private liberal-arts colleges and 12 private universities in Nebraska
The University of Nebraska System was created originally with one campus, the flagship campus at Lincoln. This school, known first as the University of Nebraska, was founded in 1869. It is a land-grant university that was founded under the Morrill Act. It holds the honor of being both the largest and the oldest university in the state, and is famed across the state for its athletic team the Cornhuskers. The other universities in the system include the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which is an urban campus, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, which focuses on undergraduate programs, the University of Nebraska medical center, the medical school, and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, an agriculture school.
The Nebraska State College System governs the three public colleges that are not a part of the University of Nebraska System. The three colleges included in this system are Chadron State College, Peru State College and Wayne State Colleges. Peru State College is a public liberal arts college that was founded in 1865 as a United Methodist Church college. It was the first higher education institution to be founded, but it later changed its name to become Peru State College. Three United States congressmen graduated from Peru State College before heading off into a career in politics that ultimately lead them to Washington, D.C.
There are also 8 community colleges that are located in the state of Nebraska. One of these community colleges is a tribal college that is located on the grounds of an American Indian reservation. Little Priest Tribal College is supported by the Winnebago tribe, and there are just under 100 students enrolled. Most of the students at this community college are American Indian, and the college offers two-year degrees, certificates and community education programs designed to cater to anyone interested in lifelong learning.