The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is one of the best employers in Nebraska, according to a newly published list compiled by Forbes and Statista.

The university placed fifth in Nebraska on Forbes’ first-ever list of the best employers in each state. It was the highest-ranking higher-education institution on the list, although Nebraska Medicine, which serves as the primary clinical teaching partner for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, received the state’s top ranking.

Chancellor Ronnie Green observed that the list puts the university in the same category as some of the most prestigious and well-established private companies in Nebraska, such as First National Bank of Omaha, Union Pacific and Gallup.

“Our employees serve our great university and our state with dedication every day, completing an array of duties in support of teaching, learning, discovery and opportunity in Nebraska and worldwide,” he said. “It’s inspiring that they value the university as a good employer. I could not be prouder to call them colleagues.”

With about 6,500 employees, the university is committed to offering a bold, transformative and supportive work environment that encourages employees to pursue professional development while serving students. Popular employee benefits include the Employee Assistance Program; employee and dependent scholarship program; University Child Care; wellness programs; Campus Recreation; flexible leave programs to encourage work-life balance; and organizational development assistance.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln employees also participate in the University of Nebraska system’s self-insured health benefit program and its retirement program. In 2018, Forbes ranked the university 115th nationally among large employers. It was one of three Big Ten institutions to be included in that list, where it ranked 11th among universities.

Forbes, a business media company, and Statista, a market research company, developed the Best-in-State Employers ranking based on an independent survey of more than 80,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 500 people in their U.S. operations. The surveys were administered in a series of online panels and provide a representative sample of the U.S. workforce. Employees were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family; participants also were prompted to evaluate other employers in their respective industries.

The other top five employers in Nebraska, according to the Forbes list, are Nebraska Medicine, Paypal, First National Bank of Omaha and Lincoln Public Schools. The University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked 10th among the 21 employers included on the list.