HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Nevada-Reno vs University of Nevada-Las Vegas

University of Nevada-Reno clears +$1.44M in 30-year net value, University of Nevada-Las Vegas +$1.30M — both pay off, University of Nevada-Reno by +$133K.

Two NV public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.44M
Total cost of attendance
$90,776
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$56,652
Breaks even by age
43

University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV

30-year net value
+$1.30M
Total cost of attendance
$84,856
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$54,710
Breaks even by age
46
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Nevada-Reno vs University of Nevada-Las Vegas: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/nevada-vs-unlv

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Questions

Is University of Nevada-Reno or University of Nevada-Las Vegas a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, University of Nevada-Reno clears +$1.44M and University of Nevada-Las Vegas +$1.30M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Nevada-Reno comes out ahead by +$133K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of Nevada-Reno pay off than University of Nevada-Las Vegas?
About +$133K over a 30-year horizon (+$1.44M vs +$1.30M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Nevada-Reno?
+$1.44M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $90,776, median earnings ten years out $56,652, breaking even around age 43. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.