The college became part of the newly established Concordia University System in 1995. In 1996, the college hosted the first annual Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival. The festival now brings nearly 10,000 school-aged students and teachers to campus to interact with authors and illustrators. It has included famous authors such as Lois Lowry, John R. Erickson, and Richard Peck. and became a university in 1998 and was renamed Concordia University Nebraska. Concordia opened a location in Lincoln's Fallbrook development to house graduate classes.