Paying for college · Nevada
What college really costs in Nevada
Average yearly net price after grants at 30 four-year colleges, lowest first. The figure for families earning under $30,000 shows how far need-based aid goes at each school.
Nevada state grants
- Silver State Opportunity Grant: Up to $5,500 a year, or $4,400 at 12 credits a semester (2025-26 figures; the 2026-27 amount is not yet published).
- Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship: $80 a credit at the universities, $60 at Nevada State, $40-$60 at community colleges, for up to 15 credits a semester. Lifetime maximum $10,000.
- Nevada Promise Scholarship: Pays registration and some mandatory fees left after other grants, for up to three years at a Nevada community college.
- Federal Pell Grant: up to $7,395 a year (2026–27)
Working while you study
$12.00/hour minimum wage
workers paid less than 1.5 times the minimum earn overtime after 8 hours in a day.
All four-year colleges in Nevada
| College | Avg net price | Income under $30k | Graduate | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truckee Meadows Community CollegeReno · public | $4,948 | $4,184 | 30% | $10,000 |
| College of Southern NevadaLas Vegas · public | $6,016 | $5,309 | 22% | $8,000 |
| Western Nevada CollegeCarson City · public | $8,666 | $8,784 | 38% | $14,962 |
| Great Basin CollegeElko · public | $9,357 | $8,339 | 48% | $15,750 |
| University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas · public | $11,062 | $9,250 | 52% | $18,450 |
| Sierra Academy of StyleCarson City · private | $11,140 | — | — | $6,333 |
| Casal Institute of NevadaLas Vegas · private | $12,931 | $12,758 | — | $6,333 |
| University of Nevada-RenoReno · public | $13,797 | $11,183 | 60% | $17,978 |
| International Academy of StyleReno · private | $14,057 | $11,829 | — | — |
| Nevada State UniversityHenderson · public | $14,262 | $12,344 | 36% | $18,177 |
| Avalon Institute-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $15,115 | $14,148 | — | $6,991 |
| Northwest Career CollegeLas Vegas · private | $15,186 | $14,931 | — | $9,500 |
| Milan Institute of Cosmetology-RenoReno · private | $17,030 | $16,041 | — | $6,333 |
| Academy of Hair Design-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $18,836 | — | — | $6,333 |
| Milan Institute-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $19,758 | — | — | $6,333 |
| Milan Institute-SparksSparks · private | $21,216 | $21,223 | — | $6,333 |
| Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern AestheticsLas Vegas · private | $21,664 | — | — | $7,885 |
| Galen Health Institutes-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $22,063 | $21,774 | — | $22,134 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $26,855 | $26,629 | — | $20,503 |
| Las Vegas CollegeLas Vegas · private | $26,909 | $25,637 | 71% | $16,495 |
| L Makeup InstituteLas Vegas · private | $27,699 | $26,289 | — | $6,746 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-RenoReno · private | $28,006 | — | — | $10,061 |
| United Education Institute-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $29,242 | $28,932 | — | $9,500 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $29,544 | $29,268 | — | $10,556 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $32,127 | — | 100% | $28,791 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $39,025 | — | — | $9,500 |
| Chamberlain University-NevadaLas Vegas · private | $41,032 | — | 25% | $19,746 |
| Carrington College-Las VegasLas Vegas · private | $55,838 | $55,050 | — | $11,390 |
| Carrington College-RenoReno · private | $56,217 | $54,497 | — | $14,250 |
| Nevada Career InstituteLas Vegas · private | $57,259 | $56,953 | — | $18,740 |
Linked colleges have a full funding guide. More are added every week.
Short of what aid covers?
Students in Nevada use My Study Fund to collect monthly support from family, friends and mentors, and receive every dollar.
Sources
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; state program pages linked above, checked 2026-10-28. Four-year, campus-based public and private nonprofit colleges with complete net-price data.