2027 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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for general sales & marketing students.
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2027 Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general sales & marketing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Sales & Marketing Schools
Leading the list is Hutchinson Community College, our #1 best value for general sales & marketing in the The Plains States Region. Located in the town of Hutchinson, Hutchinson Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,540, with out-of-state students paying around $4,770. Typical student debt for general sales & marketing graduates is $18,148. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Hutchinson Community College generally make around $42,285. 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 Hawkeye Community College, which ranked #2. Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Waterloo. In-state tuition and fees average $6,525, compared with $6,612 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,001 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $41,902. That is a strong return on a $17,001 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Des Moines Area Community College one of the best values for general sales & marketing. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,790, compared with $6,690 for out-of-state students. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $14,956 in student loans. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $43,121. 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. Set in the rural area of Fergus Falls, Minnesota State Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,908 in tuition and fees. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $17,500 in student loans. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $39,563. Set against $17,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #5 makes Northland Community And Technical College one of the best values for general sales & marketing. Set in the town of Thief River Falls, Northland Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,289. Students borrow a median of $18,550 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Northland Community And Technical College generally make around $46,528. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
North Dakota State University Main Campus landed the #6 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Set in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,910, with out-of-state students paying around $15,564. Students borrow a median of $25,222 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $55,734. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities landed the #7 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. Students from in state pay about $17,214 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $51,066. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
Iowa State University placed #8 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Students borrow a median of $23,496 to complete the general sales & marketing program here. Soon after graduation, general sales & marketing degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $54,204. That is a strong return on a $23,496 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Minnesota Duluth placed #9 among the best values for general sales & marketing. Located in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,608, while out-of-state students pay about $20,134. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $24,624 in student loans. General Sales & Marketing graduates of University Of Minnesota Duluth earn a median of $46,572 early in their careers. Set against $24,624 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Missouri Valley College landed the #10 spot for general sales & marketing value this year. Missouri Valley College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Marshall. In-state tuition and fees average $23,700. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $27,892 in student loans. General Sales & Marketing graduates of Missouri Valley College earn a median of $44,318 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,892 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value general sales & marketing schools. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. General Sales & Marketing graduates carry a median of $23,546 in student loans. Early-career general sales & marketing graduates make about $51,543. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Missouri Columbia earned the #12 position for value in general sales & marketing this year. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. 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. University Of Missouri Columbia admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.