Rural Nebraska Poll

Lincoln, Nebraska, Sept. 19, 2025 — Rural Nebraskans’ confidence in educational and governmental institutions has changed little in the past eight years, according to the 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll. However, more respondents expressed strong confidence in the presidency and executive branch than they did in 2017 or 2021.

While confidence in some local institutions decreased from past surveys, more than half of rural Nebraskans surveyed still have quite a lot or a great deal of confidence in their community’s public safety agencies (68%), public libraries (68%), community colleges (62%), county voting and election systems (58%), K-12 public schools (56%), and public four-year colleges and universities (51%).

Meanwhile, respondents said they have little confidence in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and only 33% said they were confident about voting and election systems across the nation.