2026 Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools in the The Plains States Region
[General Sales & Marketing](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/sales-merchandising-marketing-ops/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general sales & marketing education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 49 schools to find the best return on investment for general sales & marketing students.
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2026 Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general sales & marketing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools
For return on investment in general sales & marketing, no school beat Hutchinson Community College this year. Set in the town of Hutchinson, Hutchinson Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,540, compared with $4,770 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $18,148. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Hutchinson Community College earn a median of $42,285 early in their careers. Set against $18,148 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
St Cloud Technical And Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general sales & marketing, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical And Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,124. Students borrow a median of $16,734 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $48,652. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Des Moines Area Community College one of the best values for general sales & marketing. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,790, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Students borrow a median of $14,956 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $43,121 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,956 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general sales & marketing will find it at Minnesota State Community And Technical College, which ranked #4. Minnesota State Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Fergus Falls. Students from in state pay about $5,908 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Minnesota State Community And Technical College earn a median of $39,563 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general sales & marketing will find it at Northland Community And Technical College, which ranked #5. Northland Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Thief River Falls. In-state tuition and fees average $6,289. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $18,550 in student loans. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Northland Community And Technical College earn a median of $46,528 early in their careers. Set against $18,550 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Northern Iowa ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,936, compared with $21,712 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,635 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from University Of Northern Iowa generally make around $46,054. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
North Dakota State University Main Campus came in at #7 for value in general sales & marketing this year. Set in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,910, while out-of-state students pay about $15,564. Students borrow a median of $25,222 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. General Sales & Marketing graduates of North Dakota State University Main Campus earn a median of $55,734 early in their careers. Set against $25,222 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities landed the #8 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $20,500. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $51,066. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University landed the #9 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Kansas State University is a very large public school located in the city of Manhattan. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,546 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $51,543. That is a strong return on a $23,546 median debt. Kansas State University admits about 82% of applicants.
Iowa State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Students borrow a median of $23,495 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $53,900. Set against $23,495 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of Minnesota Duluth earned the #11 position for value in general sales & marketing this year. Located in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,608 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,134. Students borrow a median of $24,624 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Duluth generally make around $46,572. Set against $24,624 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Missouri Valley College earned the #12 position for value in general sales & marketing this year. Set in the town of Marshall, Missouri Valley College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,700. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $27,892. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Missouri Valley College generally make around $44,318. That is a strong return on a $27,892 median debt. The acceptance rate is 69%.
University Of Missouri Columbia placed #13 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,837, with out-of-state students paying around $36,056. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. General Sales & Marketing graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $64,382 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Saint Ambrose University landed the #14 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Located in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,658. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $27,528. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Saint Ambrose University earn a median of $57,252 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Ambrose University admits about 77% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 49 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
