I’m not going to tell you whether it is the right school for your child. An article cannot decide that. But I can clearly give you one of the three pieces you need to make that decision as a family: what this university is, in numbers you can use.
What Kind of University It Is
Let’s start with the basics. University of Nevada-Reno is a public four-year university, and not a small one: the Carnegie system, which classifies schools in the United States according to what they do, places it among the doctoral universities with the highest level of research activity in the country. Right up there with the major universities.
It offers programs through the doctoral level. That is an institutional fact—what the school reports offering overall—not a guarantee that the specific major your child is interested in has that complete path from a bachelor’s degree through graduate study. That needs to be asked separately, program by program.
One detail worth understanding clearly: Carnegie classifies it as a “primarily nonresidential” institution. That does not mean there are no residence halls—there are, and I’ll tell you about them later. It means that, under Carnegie’s formula, either fewer than one in four undergraduate students lives in institution-provided housing or fewer than half attend full time. The data does not say which of the two conditions applied. If your child will commute every day instead of living on campus, what you need to budget for is the bus, gas, and commuting time, not a residence hall.
It is also marked as a “Land Grant Institution” in the most recent federal file, a historic designation it shares with only 80 of the 3,012 institutions in this census. But do not read that as a seal of quality or a promise of meaningful support for your child. That label does not tell you what scholarships are available or who will answer the phone in April when you have a question. Ask about that by name.
Where it is located. University of Nevada-Reno is in Reno, Nevada, within Washoe County, in a city with a population of 250,000 or more. If your child plans to live at home, do not rely on the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
The Size of the Community Your Child Would Enter
In the official fall count, University of Nevada-Reno reported 21,778 enrolled students. It is a large school—one of the largest measured by the government—and compared with 519 other selective public four-year schools, it is on the larger side: between one and three out of every ten of those schools have more students.
Of that total, 17,965 are undergraduates and 3,813 are graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-degree-focused school.
But the fact that the school is large does not mean its classes are large. That is a common mistake: hearing “21 thousand students” and imagining classrooms filled with 200 people. We cannot tell that from this data. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes and how many are in the specific major your child is interested in.
One figure that does matter if your family is Latino: 25 out of every 100 undergraduate students identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four or more, and within the group of comparable selective public schools, it places the university in the top quarter. Being Latino would not be the exception on that campus.
But be careful about what that number does and does not say. Counting how many Latino students there are is not the same as measuring the support they receive. The data does not say whether there are Spanish-speaking counselors, targeted tutoring, or whether those students actually complete their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific major your child is interested in.
Two other contextual figures: the undergraduate population is nearly evenly divided between men and women (53 out of every 100 are women), and adult students—those ages 25 to 64—are a clear minority, at 8 out of every 100. And 75 out of every 100 entering students came from the state of Nevada itself. If your child comes from out of state, they will be in the minority, not the majority.
How the Academic Year Is Organized and How Flexible It Is
University of Nevada-Reno operates on semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual—it is the most common calendar among universities of this type.
Something worth knowing for a family whose child already has credits from high school or accumulated experience: the school stated that it accepts credit for AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—learning acquired through independent study, work experience, licenses, certifications, or previous military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit, both within and outside formal dual-enrollment programs.
Be careful here, because this is where many families face an expensive surprise: the fact that the school says it accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam or every score. This data does not tell us how many points are required or whether those credits apply to your child’s major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not subtract those “savings” from the budget until you have it in hand.
How Broad the Selection of Majors Is
In a single year, University of Nevada-Reno awarded 3,623 bachelor’s degrees across 23 different academic families—what the government calls CIP families. And there is something worth noting here: no single family accounts for a large share. The most popular was business and management, yet it still represented only 16 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Its offerings are broad, not concentrated in two or three flagship majors.
Compared with 514 other selective public schools, it ranks in the quarter awarding the most degrees per year.
But “23 active families” does not mean 23 specific majors or that all of them awarded degrees. A CIP family groups several related programs, and some may report no degrees awarded that year. Verify the exact name of the program your child is interested in, not just the general field.
As for individual attention: the reported ratio is 16 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a middle-of-the-range figure—neither among the lowest nor the highest at comparable schools—and by itself it does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. You need to request that information separately.
Academic Opportunities the School Reports Offering
University of Nevada-Reno reported offering study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, at least one complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, and pathways toward teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification. These are offerings listed in the report; if any of them interests your child, confirm it directly with the school, including current requirements and availability.
How Selective This University Is and How It Decides
We need to take this slowly, because this is one of the sections that causes the most anxiety and, in this case, the good news is real.
University of Nevada-Reno does not have open admission: it reviews application components before making a decision. Of the nine possible considerations measured by the government, it marked four as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework required by the university, and an English proficiency exam when applicable to the applicant.
And here is what surprises many families: the list of what it does not consider is longer than the list of what it requires. The following do not factor into the admission decision: your child’s class rank, personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio, work experience, or whether a family member studied there. The report does not say whether anyone reads them for another purpose, but they do not count toward the admission decision.
In other words, grades carry the weight here, not the perfect essay or a recommendation letter from a favorite teacher.
As for the cost of applying: the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
Now for the specific numbers. In the 2023 cycle, University of Nevada-Reno received 10,142 first-time applications and offered admission to 8,652 applicants. That is 85 out of every 100. Compared with 519 other selective public schools, it is among those accepting more applicants, slightly above the midpoint of the group.
Of every 100 who applied, 85 were admitted. This is a school that does accept applicants. But be careful: even with that proportion, 1,490 of the 10,142 applicants did not receive an offer that year. The likelihood of admission is high, not automatic. The application needs to be complete and submitted on time.
The fact that admission is likely does not make everything that follows easy. That 85 out of every 100 applies to the entire school and to a single cycle. It does not say how much attendance will cost, how many students complete their degrees, or whether the specific program your child wants has an additional screening process. Those are three separate questions.
One interesting figure: among first-year students admitted in 2023, only 40 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled there. The other 60 did not enroll at this school—we do not know whether they went elsewhere or what they decided. This percentage does not measure quality or satisfaction; it only counts how many admitted students enrolled. When your child’s letters arrive, this number does not determine anything; place the offers side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.
Regarding exams: University of Nevada-Reno reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admission decision, even if they are submitted. That response does not cover scholarships or course placement; ask about those separately.
And if your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish: the English proficiency exam is marked as required when applicable. Ask now whether your child needs it and what would qualify them for an exemption. This is the kind of requirement that families discover late, complicating their timelines.
About transfers: in the fall of 2023, 1,058 undergraduate students arrived at this university for the first time after studying at another institution. That is a high number compared with similar schools. What this data does not say is how many of their credits were accepted when they arrived—that is determined case by case with the school.
How Much It Costs, in Real Numbers
At University of Nevada-Reno, among 307 full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,126. Among 236 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,116; among 255 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $20,739. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (307 students) and the average for the highest-income band (255 students) is $8,613. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $16,801.
$12,126 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial Aid and Loans: Who Receives What
70 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some form of aid that does not have to be repaid—grants or scholarships—with an average of $7,703 per year among those who received it. Pell—the federal aid specifically for low-income families—reached 26 out of every 100. The difference between those two figures suggests that a substantial amount of institutional or state aid is being awarded in addition to Pell, but this breakdown does not make it possible to determine exactly where each portion comes from. Ask which programs make it up.
Regarding loans: 26 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal loan in school year 2022–23, with an average of $6,233 among those who borrowed. Compared with similar schools, University of Nevada-Reno is on the low side: seven out of every ten comparable schools had a larger proportion of students taking on debt.
Here is a truth worth stating plainly: this percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow will be determined by their own financial aid letter, not this average. And that average does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out, credit card debt, or the total debt accumulated by graduation—those figures are not in this report. Wait for the written letter before committing to the school.
The university also reports two payment-management options: a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan. They are worth asking about if paying the full amount at once is not feasible for your family.
Campus Life, Athletics, and Available Support
University of Nevada-Reno does have its own housing, with a reported capacity for 3,291 students on or off campus. It is not required for all full-time, first-time students—that is what the institution reported—but that does not mean no program has a live-on requirement. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. The existence of a room does not guarantee you an available bed: request the current rate, application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or applicants are placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
It competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child is an athlete, that membership belongs to the school, not to your child: contact the coach for the specific sport directly and ask about roster availability, division, and scholarships, in writing.
Regarding ROTC: the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. Navy and Air Force are not marked. Not confirmed does not mean impossible—it means you need to ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
As for course delivery: the vast majority of undergraduate students, 98 out of every 100, take at least one in-person class. Only 2 out of every 100 study entirely through distance education. Even so, the school reports having at least one program that can be completed entirely at a distance—it is worth confirming whether your child’s major is one of them.
The library operates with paid staff, has physical and digital materials, and offers interlibrary lending. And the institution reports a broad list of support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, a transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, a point of contact for veterans and members of the military, and a student veterans organization. The fact that these services are reported does not tell you how good they are or how easy they are to use—ask about that with a specific contact’s name before deciding.
Whether Students Stay and Graduate: The Persistence Numbers
For many families, this is the most important section of all: if a student enrolls, do they stay and finish?
Of the cohort of full-time, first-time bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in the fall of 2022, 80 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That figure is slightly above the midpoint among comparable schools: neither among the lowest nor the highest.
Now for graduation, where it is important to be very clear about the time frames. Among students who entered in 2017 as full-time, first-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students:
- After four years, 42 out of every 100 had graduated from this school.
- After six years, that figure rose to 62 out of every 100.
That difference of 20 points between four and six years matters greatly for your budget, because four years is usually the time frame most families plan for. The data does not explain why students take longer or how much that additional time costs in tuition and rent—you need to ask directly how long students in your child’s specific major typically take on average and how required courses are scheduled.
Compared with other similar schools, that six-year graduation rate places it above the midpoint of the group.
There is an even broader version of this question, following a larger cohort—including full-time and part-time students, first-time students, and those who already had prior college experience—over eight years. Of the 5,761 students who entered between 2015 and 2016, 63 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by August 2023. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 59 out of every 100, five points below the rest. The report does not explain that difference or the exact outcome for the remainder of the cohort—24 out of every 100 are marked as having “unknown status,” which means the system could not confirm whether they were still enrolled anywhere, not that they had dropped out.
None of these percentages determines what will happen to your child. They are averages drawn from thousands of different stories. But they do support a valid question to ask the school directly: what specific support is available to help a student finish on time, and how recent are the results the school can show you?
How to Use All of This
You now know, in as much depth as the official data allows, one of the three pieces you need to decide: what University of Nevada-Reno is, what it requires, how much it costs, and how likely a student is to stay and graduate there.
The other two pieces are not found in any government report. One is what your child wants to study, what they have accomplished so far, and how far away they are willing to live. The other is what your family can truly afford and how comfortable you are borrowing to make it possible. No university, however good it looks on paper, can answer those two questions by itself.
If you live in Nevada, the difference of nearly $17,000 per year between the resident and out-of-state rates probably will not apply to you, and that changes the entire calculation.
What you can do today, with what you already know, is request the financial aid letter before ruling out the school or committing to it, confirm the AP credit evaluation in writing if your child has those credits, ask about support specific to the major that interests them, and sit down with your child to compare this school with the others on their list—not in the abstract, but with the numbers side by side.
You are not alone in this. And now, at least with this university, you are no longer walking blindly.
Source note: the information in this article comes from reports that University of Nevada-Reno submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily covering the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent University of Nevada-Reno or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help you understand it.