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2025 Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

36 Colleges in the Plains States Region
3,705 General Studies Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #5 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 36 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,705 degrees in general studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Studies School

Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of general studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in General Studies
Bachelor's Degrees in General Studies

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Studies in the Plains States Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the general studies degree levels they offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in General Studies

1
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
567 General Studies Degrees Awarded

Columbia College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in general studies. Located in the city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #634 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia College Missouri is a great college overall.

There were roughly 567 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia College Missouri in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from Columbia College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
96 General Studies Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in general studies has to look into Des Moines Area Community College. DMACC is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Ankeny. A Best Colleges rank of #408 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DMACC is a great college overall.

There were about 96 general studies students who graduated with this degree at DMACC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from Des Moines Area Community College

Sponsored
Associates Degree Type
AA in Liberal Arts Program Name

Strengthen your communication and critical-thinking skills with this online associate in liberal arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in AA in Liberal Arts from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IA
30.0% Growth in Graduates

Iowa Central Community College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in general studies. Located in the remote town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a public college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #498 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa Central Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 10 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Iowa Central Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from Iowa Central Community College

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MO
85 General Studies Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in general studies needs to look into University of Missouri - Columbia. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were about 85 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from University of Missouri - Columbia

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In ND
101 General Studies Degrees Awarded

UND is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Grand Forks. A Best Colleges rank of #335 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UND is a great university overall.

There were approximately 101 general studies students who graduated with this degree at UND in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from University of North Dakota

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NE
399 General Studies Degrees Awarded

UNOMAHA is a large public university located in the large city of Omaha. A Best Colleges rank of #776 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNOMAHA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 399 general studies students who graduated with this degree at UNOMAHA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general studies from University of Nebraska at Omaha

7
Hesston crest
Hesston College
Hesston, KS
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In KS
30.8% Growth in Graduates

Hesston is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the rural area of Hesston. A Best Colleges rank of #899 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Hesston is a great college overall.

There were roughly 13 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Hesston in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general studies from Hesston College

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in General Studies Program Name

Maximize your transfer credits and complete your bachelor's degree faster with this flexible online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in General Studies from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IA
77 General Studies Degrees Awarded

Iowa Western Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Council Bluffs. A Best Colleges rank of #884 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa Western Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 77 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Iowa Western Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from Iowa Western Community College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In IA

Located in the town of Marshalltown, Marshalltown Community College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 20th out of 37 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 1 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Marshalltown Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general studies from Marshalltown Community College

10

Located in the rural area of Mason City, North Iowa Area Community College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 26th out of 37 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.More information about a degree in general studies from North Iowa Area Community College

Best General Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best general studies schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 742 35
Missouri 693 1,813
Iowa 648 228
Kansas 599 427
Nebraska 500 437
North Dakota 416 184
South Dakota 381 214

View All Rankings >

General Studies is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts 25,553
Individualized Studies 893
Humanities 26

View All General Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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