The University of Nebraska - Omaha

UNO is a deeply flawed institution trying to work with the momentum they ran out of five years ago. The college was about to break through as a solid academic school until the budget cuts in 2003 crippled whatever UNO had going for it. Any sort of non-department specific study assistance was neutered in those cuts, and the school's crown jewel, the Kiewit Center, has since resorted to hiring part-time instructors from local IT departments and plastering the walls with corporate ads. On one occasion, the part-time instructor even admitted on the first day of class that he was just there for the additional paycheck!

The general-ed instructors are aloof and sometimes hostile to their students, and the education you can expect from them is comparable to a class at one of the local high schools or Metro Community College.

I would love to see the school's budget, since the school's priorities seem to lean heavily on style over substance. The greens are beautifully kept, and the ivy growing on the chain link fence by Caniglia field offers a nice bit of character that's missing from the rest of the campus. In addition, the faculty for some reason felt the need to purchase a Venus-esque stone statue from a local Italian restaurant and prop it up in front of the Arts and Sciences building. Also, the local radio airwaves and billboards are flooded with "Maverick Mojo" ads touting the fantastic school spirit and how into UNO you will get if you attend... though if you actually talk to anyone with experience with UNO, they'll tell you otherwise.

However, the faculty is loaded with grad students and part-time instructors, and some of the buildings look dated and decaying both inside and out, particularly Kayser Hall and the Durham Science building. Parking is abysmal, though given the school's location, they've done about as much as they realistically can to solve that problem. The instructors all seem to have the attitude that they'd rather be somewhere else.In short, if you want a cheap degree mill with no frills, no support, and no college atmosphere, try UNO. If you want a solid education with a traditional college atmosphere where you can actually look back on your life and remember having "college buddies," stay away and consider UNL, Iowa State, Creighton, or another smaller private school.

1st Year Male -- Class 2012

Campus Maintenance: B+, University Resource Use/ spending: F

The "University of No Opportunity" as it has been referred to by certain folks gets a worse reputation than it deserves. First off, honesty. UNO is not a school to go to if you want the typical college experience (social life, campus life, etc.). It is almost non-existant here. People are at UNO to get their degrees and get the hell out. 95% of them are from Omaha or the surrounding area. Most students at UNO stick to their high school cliques and groups, so if you are from outside of the area it is very hard to meet friends because of that, the almost non-existant campus life and social life. UNO has a cold feeling when on campus. You sense most of the students are bitter because they are going there or just dislike school and want to get it done with ASAP. The classes aren't terrible or terrific. Most are probably at a college prepartory level or maybe a little bit higher. Almost no one lives on campus, so finding campus life is harder than hell. School spirit is no where to be found. Most students are commuters or older adults going back to get a degree or a second degree. If you want to go to a school in Nebraska and want the college experience, check out Lincoln. If you want to go to school in Nebraska and want the degree minus the frills of college, check out UNO.

4th Year Female -- Class 2010

Faculty Accessibility: B, Extracurricular Activities: D+