2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region
187
Ranked Colleges
31,555
Degrees Awarded
$16,500
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 322,592 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $70,916 and had an average of $25,426 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 31,555 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,790 and $29,947 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 187 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Nursing in the Plains States Region
Out of the 187 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine landed the #1 spot on the list. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is located in Rochester, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Nursing at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Out of the 187 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Capella University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 4,027 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Capella University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Capella University is $16,545 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
Full Capella University Nursing Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Walden University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 5,207 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Walden University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Walden University Nursing Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 342 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at South Dakota State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Marty University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Yankton, South Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 76 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount Marty, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Marty University is $19,593 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Mount Marty University Nursing Report
Clarkson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. Clarkson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 216 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region nursing students list, Clarkson College has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clarkson College is $18,147 for plains states region nursing students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Clarkson College Nursing Report
Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,452 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Maryville U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Maryville University of Saint Louis is $27,290 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Maryville University of Saint Louis Nursing Report
Winona State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 275 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Winona State also made our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $17,634 for plains states region nursing students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Winona State Nursing Report
Rasmussen University - Minnesota landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit institution located in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 789 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Rasmussen University - Minnesota also made our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Rasmussen University - Minnesota is $19,075 for plains states region nursing students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Nursing at Rasmussen University - Minnesota
University of North Dakota ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 168 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
UND also took the #15 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,966 for plains states region nursing students per year to attend UND.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full UND Nursing Report
Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 180 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $16,718 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at Missouri State
North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 219 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
North Dakota State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,998 for plains states region nursing students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at North Dakota State University
With a ranking of #13, Neosho County Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Neosho County Community College is a small public school situated in Chanute, Kansas. It awarded 90 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Neosho County Community College is $8,100 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
Full Neosho County Community College Nursing Report
Rochester Community and Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Rochester Community and Technical College is a public institution located in Rochester, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 111 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Rochester Community and Technical College is $15,149 for plains states region nursing students.
Full Rochester Community and Technical College Nursing Report
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 189 students in 2020-2021.
Nebraska Methodist College also made our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $24,108 for plains states region nursing students per year to attend Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at Nebraska Methodist College
Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 81 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College is $8,309 for plains states region nursing students.
Read more about Nursing at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Rasmussen University - North Dakota came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 128 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Rasmussen University - North Dakota is $19,746 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
Read full report on Nursing at Rasmussen University - North Dakota
University of Mary landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UMary is located in Bismarck, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 141 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMary is also in the top of our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary is $18,572 for plains states region nursing students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Nursing at UMary
Butler Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Butler Community College is a medium-sized school located in El Dorado, Kansas that handed out 363 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Butler Community College is $13,255 for Plains States Region Nursing students.
Full Butler CC Nursing Report
Saint Louis Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis Community College is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 204 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Saint Louis Community College is $7,056 for plains states region nursing students.
Read full report on Nursing at Saint Louis Community College
North Dakota State College of Science landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. North Dakota State College of Science is a public institution located in Wahpeton, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,084 for Plains States Region Nursing students per year to attend North Dakota State College of Science.
Read full report on Nursing at North Dakota State College of Science
With a ranking of #22, Webster University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 172 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Webster also took the #16 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Webster is $23,248 for plains states region nursing students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Webster University Nursing Report
University of South Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, this medium-sized public school handed out 198 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $19,389 for Plains States Region Nursing students per year to attend USD.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at USD
Northland Community and Technical College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Northland Community and Technical College is a public institution located in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,586 for plains states region nursing students per year to attend Northland Community and Technical College.
Read full report on Nursing at Northland Community and Technical College
With a ranking of #25, Lake Area Technical Institute did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. LATI is a public institution located in Watertown, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Lake Area Technical Institute is $13,301 for plains states region nursing students.
Read more about Nursing at Lake Area Technical Institute
college factual
