College Affordability Guide ranks Wayne State in the No.1 spot for 2018 as the Most Affordable College in Nebraska. Ranking is based on the following factors:

• Institutional Fit – At least 500 students enrolled and the ability to earn non-standard credits (AP and ROTC), including at least 20% of students receiving Pell Grants.
• Getting In – Overall affordability and equitable use of financial aid, making the average net price of $15,000/year or less
• Getting Out – High graduation rate with more than 50% of students either debt-free or paying down student debt within three years of graduation
• Top Colleges - The combination of these "Institutional Fit," "Getting In," and "Getting Out" filters leaves a small group of schools that are serious about making sure that students of all backgrounds get their money's worth.

Wayne State College has been named once again as a College of Distinction. Colleges of Distinction honors and recognizes the hundreds of smaller, teaching-centered colleges that make up the fabric of the American educational system, schools that deliver well four overarching distinctions — Engagement, Teaching, Community, and Outcomes — which are the fundamental elements of an effective undergraduate education.

To be designated a “college of distinction,” a school’s curriculum must emphasize such core competencies as critical thinking, writing, oral skills, research, and global perspectives. They must also offer dynamic out-of-classroom learning and study abroad programs. The process is objective, in-depth, and qualitative; however, quantitative data such as class-size statistics, faculty-to-student ratio, plus retention and four-year graduation rates are also taken into account.

Schools.com has ranked Wayne State College at no. 9 for the best K-12 education programs program in the U.S. for 2017-18. This ranking was created by Schools.com using many different data points provided by the National Center for Education Statistics. Criteria used in ranking the top K-12 education programs included tuition and fees, graduation rate, accessibility, student-to-faculty ratio, size of the program, and more.

In a recent ranking of special education degrees by College Factual, Wayne State College earned #23 of all colleges in the U.S., placing us in the top 10% nationwide for 2019. Three metrics measure how College Factual determines which colleges are the "Most Focused."

1. Percentage of students studying a particular major - the higher the better. This is a signal from students at the college that they recognize the strength of the program, and also stands to reason that more resources are dedicated to departments with more students.
2. Market share - We take it as a positive signal if a college is attracting a lot of students to a particular major. This usually means that a college has more income from tuition to further invest in the program.
3. Post graduate resources - If a college has significant graduate and doctoral level programs, that indicates they are even more focused on a particular major.  This can mean more resources available to all students.

College Factual, located in Troy, New York, is a leading source of college data analytics and insights, with a strong focus on student outcomes. Its mission is to help all types of students discover their best-fit college and major so they can enjoy their college experience and graduate with less debt. College Factual provides coverage for over 2,500 colleges and universities, 350 college majors, for students in over 160 countries.