2023 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region
109
Ranked Colleges
31,199
Degrees Awarded
$11,200
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 556,813 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 31,199 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,497 and $16,369 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 109 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region liberal arts students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metropolitan Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 568 students in 2020-2021.
MCC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan Community College is $4,315 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Metropolitan Community College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region. This medium-sized school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 871 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia College Missouri also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $26,668 for plains states region liberal arts students per year to attend Columbia College Missouri.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia College Missouri
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region. South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $18,578 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full South Dakota State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dakota College at Bottineau. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. MSU-Bottineau is a public institution located in Bottineau, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU-Bottineau also took the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dakota College at Bottineau is $10,490 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Full MSU-Bottineau Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Johnson County Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. JCCC is a fairly large school located in Overland Park, Kansas that handed out 1,257 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
JCCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Johnson County Community College is $13,371 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at JCCC
Century College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. Century College is a public institution located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 426 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,397 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students per year to attend Century College.
Full Century College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 2,357 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
MCC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City is $6,966 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City
With a ranking of #8, Garden City Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Garden City, Kansas, this small public school awarded 227 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,217 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students per year to attend Garden City Community College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Garden City Community College
Bismarck State College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 352 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
BSC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Bismarck State College is $9,756 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Full BSC Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Normandale Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Normandale Community College is a medium-sized school located in Bloomington, Minnesota that handed out 713 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region liberal arts students list, Normandale Community College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Normandale Community College is $10,854 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Normandale Community College
Lake Superior College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Lake Superior College is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 324 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend LSC is $14,801 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Full Lake Superior College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Rochester Community and Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Rochester, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 259 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Rochester Community and Technical College is $15,149 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Rochester Community and Technical College
Iowa Western Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and it awarded 493 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Western Community College is $11,682 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa Western Community College
North Hennepin Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. North Hennepin Community College is a medium-sized school located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota that handed out 249 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend North Hennepin Community College is $10,081 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Full North Hennepin Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, Des Moines Area Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Ankeny, Iowa, this large public school awarded 1,170 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
DMACC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Des Moines Area Community College is $9,557 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Des Moines Area Community College
St Charles Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Cottleville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 531 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SCC is $3,248 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at St Charles Community College
Iowa Central Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa Central Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It awarded 426 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Iowa Central Community College is $9,695 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa Central Community College
Central Lakes College - Brainerd ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Brainerd, Minnesota, and it awarded 320 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Central Lakes College - Brainerd is $12,429 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Central Lakes College
Barton County Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Barton Community College is a small public school situated in Great Bend, Kansas. It awarded 382 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,003 for plains states region liberal arts students per year to attend Barton Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Barton Community College
Minnesota State Community and Technical College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. M State is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 285 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $11,244 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students per year to attend Minnesota State Community and Technical College.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at M State
University of North Dakota landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 99 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UND also took the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $16,966 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
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 University of North Dakota Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Butler Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in El Dorado, Kansas, and it awarded 492 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Butler CC is $13,255 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Full Butler Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Haskell Indian Nations University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Haskell Indian Nations University is a small school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 36 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Haskell Indian Nations University is $3,271 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Full Haskell Indian Nations University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Ridgewater College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Willmar, Minnesota, and it awarded 242 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ridgewater College is $11,436 for plains states region liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Ridgewater College
Inver Hills Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Inver Hills Community College is a public institution located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 251 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Inver Hills Community College is $11,570 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Inver Hills Community College
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