As a part of the Coed Follies, each year the judges at the event would choose an Ideal Nebraska Coed as symbol of beauty, leadership and academics at the University of Nebraska. In the 1940s the title was Typical Nebraska Coed but was changed in 1953 to Ideal Nebraska Coed.

Every sorority and female residence hall chose women for the title of Typical/Ideal Nebraska Coed. In the 1950s the process for choosing the Typical Nebraska Coed was based on every sorority and female residence hall selecting two women who they believed should hold the title, this then created a pool of forty women and then the group was narrowed down to twenty finalists chosen by the AWS board members and faculty members and one of the twenty women was chosen for the title.

In the 1960’s the process for the Ideal Nebraska Coed was composed of a smaller number of candidates who completed an application and participated in an interview session with the Coed Follies judges and a group of approximately seven women were chosen as finalists and the winner was announced at the event.    

As for men, when they were officially allowed to join the festivities in 1953, it was decided that the men should be recognized as well. Men could qualify for the title of Eligible Bachelor, which was later changed in 1961 to Outstanding Collegiate Man. Five male finalists were chosen from fraternities or other campus organizations to compete for this title which was announced the night of the Coed Follies.