UNL Academic Calendar 2025‑2026: Important Dates

The UNL Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 schedule contains every must‑know deadline from UNL enrollment deadlines, tuition payment due dates, and course add/drop windows to campus holidays and final exam schedules.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln follows a traditional semester system complemented by flexible summer offerings:

• Fall and Spring Semesters each span approximately 16 weeks (15 instructional weeks + one finals week), so if you’re asking how long a semester is at UNL, expect about four months of lectures, labs, and exams.
• Summer Sessions include two 6‑week mini‑terms and a 12‑week full session, each with its own registration, add/drop, and billing deadlines, ideal whether you need accelerated courses, make‑ups, or a lighter load during the regular year.

Whether you’re mapping out your full‑semester workload, squeezing in summer credits, or locking in your Fall timetable, the UNL Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 is your definitive guide to every date and deadline you need to thrive at Nebraska.

UNL Academic Calendar Fall 2025

1. Priority registration for the Fall Semester 2025 will take place from Monday, March 24, 2025, to Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
2. Open registration for the Fall Semester 2025 will run from Wednesday, April 9, 2025, through Sunday, August 24, 2025.
3. Thursday, May 1, 2025, is the last day to apply for undergraduate admissions for the Summer and Fall Semester 2025.
4. Late registration begins on Monday, August 25, 2025, and a $100.00 late registration fee will be assessed.
5. The Fall Semester will officially begin on Monday, August 25, 2025.
6. Labor Day will be observed on Monday, September 1, 2025; there will be no classes, and UNL offices will be closed.
7. Tuesday, September 2, 2025, is the last day for full semester course registrations and adds, including adds of thesis or dissertation credits (Census Date).
8. Tuesday, September 2, 2025, is also the last day to drop a full semester course and receive a 100% refund.
9. Friday, September 5, 2025, is the last day to drop a full semester course and receive a 75% refund.
10. Friday, September 5, 2025, is also the last day to file drop to remove a full semester course from a student’s record.
11. From Saturday, September 6, 2025, through Friday, November 14, 2025, all course withdrawals will be noted with a grade of “W” on the academic record.
12. Friday, September 12, 2025, is the last day to submit tuition and fees payment without penalty.
13. Friday, September 12, 2025, is also the last day to withdraw from a full semester course and receive a 50% refund.
14. Friday, September 12, 2025, is the final day to apply for a degree in December; a $25.00 fee is due with the application.
15. Friday, September 19, 2025, is the last day to withdraw from a full semester course and receive a 25% refund.
16. Friday, October 17, 2025, is the last day to change a full semester course registration to or from “Pass/No Pass.”
17. Law students will observe a Fall Semester Break on Monday, October 20, 2025; UNL offices will remain open.
18. UNL Fall Break 2025 for students will occur from Monday, October 20, 2025, to Tuesday, October 21, 2025; UNL offices will remain open.
19. Priority registration for the Spring Semester 2026 will be held from Monday, October 27, 2025, through Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
20. Open registration for the Spring Semester 2026 will begin on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
21. Law student registration for the Spring Semester 2026 will also begin on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
22. The last day to withdraw from one or more full semester courses for the term is Friday, November 14, 2025.
23. UNL Thanksgiving Break 2025 will be observed from Wednesday, November 26, 2025, through Sunday, November 30, 2025; UNL offices will be closed. UNL offices will remain open only on Wednesday, November 26, 2025
24. Monday, December 1, 2025, is the last day to apply for undergraduate admissions for the Spring Semester 2026.
25. The last week of classes will take place from Monday, December 8, 2025, through Saturday, December 13, 2025.
26. Law student final examinations will be conducted from Monday, December 8, 2025, through Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
27. The final day of classes for the Fall Semester is Saturday, December 13, 2025.
28. Final exams for the Fall Semester will be held from Monday, December 15, 2025, through Friday, December 19, 2025.
29. The Fall Semester Graduate Commencement and Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will be held on Friday, December 19, 2025.
30. The Fall Semester Undergraduate Commencement will take place on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
31. The University will be closed for the Christmas holiday break from Thursday, December 25, 2025, through Sunday, January 4, 2026.

UNL Academic Calendar Spring 2026

1. Priority registration for the Spring Semester 2026 at UNL will take place from Monday, October 27, 2025, to Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
2. Open registration for the Spring Semester 2026 will run from Wednesday, November 12, 2025, to Sunday, January 11, 2026.
3. UNL offices will reopen for the 2026 calendar year on Monday, January 5, 2026.
4. The UNL Spring Semester will officially begin on Monday, January 12, 2026. It is the first day of classes.
5. Late registration for the Spring Semester will begin on Monday, January 12, 2026, and will include a $100.00 late registration fee.
6. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed on Monday, January 19, 2026; this is a student and staff holiday, and UNL offices will be closed.
7. Tuesday, January 20, 2026, is the last day for full semester course registrations and adds, including thesis or dissertation credits; this is also known as the Census Date.
8. Tuesday, January 20, 2026, is the last day to drop a full semester course and receive a 100% refund.
9. Friday, January 23, 2026, is the last day to file a drop in order to remove a full semester course from a student’s record.
10. Friday, January 23, 2026, is also the last day to drop a full semester course and receive a 75% refund.
11. Friday, January 23, 2026, is the final day to apply for a degree to be awarded in May; a $25.00 fee is due with the application.
12. All course withdrawals between Saturday, January 24, 2026, and Friday, April 10, 2026, will be recorded with a grade of “W” on the academic record.
13. Friday, January 30, 2026, is the last day to withdraw from a full semester course and receive a 50% refund.
14. Friday, February 6, 2026, is the last day to withdraw from a full semester course and receive a 25% refund.
15. The final deadline to submit tuition and fee payments without penalty is Thursday, February 12, 2026.
16. Open registration for Summer Sessions 2026 will begin on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
17. Friday, March 6, 2026, is the last day to change a full semester course registration to or from a “Pass/No Pass” grading option.
18. UNL Spring Break 2026 will take place from Sunday, March 15, 2026, to Sunday, March 22, 2026; however, UNL offices will remain open Monday through Friday.
19. Priority registration for the Fall Semester 2026 will occur from Monday, March 23, 2026, to Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
20. Open registration for the Fall Semester 2026 will run from Wednesday, April 8, 2026, to Sunday, August 23, 2026.
21. The last day to withdraw from one or more full-semester courses for the Spring term is Friday, April 10, 2026.
22. Friday, May 1, 2026, is the final day to apply for undergraduate admissions for both the Summer and Fall Semester 2026.
23. The last week of classes for the Spring Semester is scheduled from Monday, April 27, 2026, to Saturday, May 2, 2026.
24. Law Student Final Examinations will take place from Monday, April 27, 2026, to Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
25. The final day of classes for the Spring Semester is Saturday, May 2, 2026.
26. Final examinations for the Spring Semester will be held from Monday, May 4, 2026, to Friday, May 8, 2026.
27. The Spring Semester Graduate Commencement and Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026.
28. The Spring Semester Law Commencement will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
29. The Spring Semester Undergraduate Commencement will also be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

For more on the UNL Academic Calendar 2025-2026, visit the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Calendar website.