Beginning with the 1997-98 school year, applicants to the University of Nebraska system must have taken a core curriculum of:
4 units English- All units must include intensive reading and writing experiences. Innovative interdisciplinary courses and courses in speech and journalism may be substituted if they include substantial amounts of reading and writing.

3 units Math - Algebra 1, algebra 11 and geometry
(4 units required by UNL)**

3 units Natural Sciences - At least 2 units selected from biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences.

3 units Social Studies - 1 unit drawn from American and/or world history; 1 additional unit drawn from history, American government and/or geography; and a third unit drawn from any social science discipline.

2 units Foreign Language - Both units must be in the same language*
(could be deferred until college)

Additional Academic Requirements:
UNK - 1 unit chosen from any academic discipline
UNL - Mathematics: 1 additional unit that builds on a knowledge of algebra**
UNO - 1 unit chosen from any academic discipline
Equivalent requirements or competencies may be substituted, with the approval of the appropriate University campus.

NOTE: A unit is a Carnegie Unit, comprising high school study for a period of one year.

*Students who are unable to take two years of foreign language in high school may still qualify for admission. Such students will be required to take two semesters of foreign language at the University of Nebraska. These students are still required to complete 16 units of academic courses for admission.

** It is not required that all students take a trigonometry or pre-calculus course for their fourth unit of mathematics. Other mathematics courses that build on two years of algebra (courses in statistics or discrete mathematics for example) may be taken to satisfy this requirement.

In addition to the core requirements, students must do one of the following:
Graduate in the upper half of their high school class.
Score at least 20 on the ACT or 950 on the SAT.