401(k) · DOL Form 5500 · 2023

Nelnet, Inc. 401(k) Plan

Data updated 2026-08-11

$674M
Total assets
8,442
Participants
98th
Percentile by assets
$79,870
Avg per participant
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Official DOL plan name: Nelnet 401(k) Plan · Sponsored by Nelnet, Inc. · Nebraska · Finance & Insurance

$674M in assets, 8,442 participants

Nelnet, Inc.'s Nelnet 401(k) Plan reported $674M in total assets and 8,442 participants in its 2023 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 98th percentile by assets among filed plans. Figures are as reported by the plan sponsor to the Department of Labor, not audited or endorsed by PlainRetire.

  • 98th percentile by assets (of 127,072 plans)
  • #8,548 in Finance & Insurance (8,869 peers)

Coverage in Nebraska

Nelnet 401(k) Plan covers 8,442 participants in Nebraska, 15x the typical Nebraska plan (state average ~552 per filing). Assets: $674M.

$674M
total plan assets (2023 EOY)
8,442
covered participants
98th
percentile by assets (of 127,072 plans)
$79,870
avg assets per participant

What changed between DOL Form 5500 filings

plan year 2022 → plan year 2023

  • Nelnet 401(k) Plan reported net income rose from -$102M in the plan year 2022 filing to $114M in the plan year 2023 filing.
  • Nelnet 401(k) Plan end-of-year assets rose from $557M in the plan year 2022 filing to $674M in the plan year 2023 filing.
  • Nelnet 401(k) Plan reported participants rose from 6,977 in the plan year 2022 filing to 8,442 in the plan year 2023 filing.

See the national 2022→2023 release diff →

State

Participants vs Nebraska filers

In Nebraska, the average filing covers about 552 participants across 778 plans. Nelnet 401(k) Plan reports 8,442 participants - 15x that state average ($674M EOY assets).

Nebraska filing particulars

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)$557M
Net Assets (End of Year)$674M
Net Income$114M
Employer EIN840748903
Plan Effective Date1998-04-01
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (Nelnet, Inc.)

$500M$600M$700M$800M 202220232024 $557M $755M ▲ +35.7%
Total plan assets by year, all Nelnet, Inc. plans on file
Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 1 6,977 $557M
2023 1 8,442 $674M
2024 1 7,953 $755M

Nearby 401(k) Plans in Nebraska

Peer 401(k) plans, same state, same plan type, ranked by total assets.

Nelnet 401(k) Plan vs. nearby 401(k) plans in Nebraska, assets vs. participants

Nelnet 401(k) Plan vs. nearby 401(k) plans in Nebraska, assets vs. participants Scatter plot of 6 data points. 0100002000030000 02468 Total assets ($B) Participants Nelnet 401(k) PlanHdr, Inc. Best Plan …Peter Kiewit Sons, I…Union Pacific Corpor…Union Pacific Agreem…First National of Ne…
Nelnet 401(k) Plan vs. nearby 401(k) plans in Nebraska, assets vs. participants

Scale composition for Nelnet 401(k) Plan

Nelnet 401(k) Plan reports $674M in end-of-year assets across 8,442 participants (0.005% of the $12.3T held by all Form 5500 filers in the national rollup , and 0.009% of 93,925,755 covered participants) - about $79,870 per participant (58% of the national average assets-per-participant) . Net income for plan year 2023 was $114M.

This plan identity (EIN 840748903, plan #001) has 3 Form 5500 filings on file from 2022 to 2024 , with end-of-year assets moving from $557M to $755M (+35.7%) while covered participants moved from 6,977 to 7,953 . Single-year sparse filers cannot show that trail.

Plan year Participants EOY assets Filing
2022 6,977 $557M Open filing
2023 8,442 $674M This page
2024 · index core 7,953 $755M Open filing

The same sponsor also keeps 1 other index-core plan on PlainRetire:

Similar-Sized 401(k) Plans Nationally

401(k) plans in other states closest to Nelnet 401(k) Plan by total assets, not by location.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Nelnet 401(k) Plan assets move in 2023?
Nelnet 401(k) Plan grew sharply - up 21.1% during 2023, from $557M to $674M. Reported net income was $114M.
How have Nelnet, Inc. plan assets changed over time?
Across 3 plan years on file (2022-2024), Nelnet, Inc.'s sponsor-wide assets grew 35.7%, from $557M to $755M.
Where does Nelnet 401(k) Plan rank by assets among Form 5500 filers?
Nelnet 401(k) Plan ranks in the 98th percentile by end-of-year assets among 127,072 plans that reported assets for plan year 2023 (in the top 5% of all filed plans by assets).
Which 401(k) plans are similar in size to Nelnet 401(k) Plan?
Among 401(k) plans in other states, the closest by assets is Alstom Transportation 401(k) Savings Plan in PA ($674M, 4,677 participants).

Filing takeaways

Ways to act on Nelnet 401(k) Plan's numbers.