2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,296 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 334 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also 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 general education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mizzou has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus College is $12,150 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bethany Lutheran College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
BLC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend BLC is $10,038 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Louis University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Louis University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 31 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
SLU also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $20,051 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SLU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on General Education at Saint Louis University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kansas State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 19 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kansas State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
UMSL also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,401 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Marshall, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
Southwest Minnesota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,801 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.
Read full report on General Education at Southwest Minnesota State University
Hamline University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hamline University is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 26 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hamline, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline is $17,038 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, Midland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Midland University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fremont, Nebraska. It awarded 44 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Midland U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Midland U is $18,257 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Saint Charles, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
Lindenwood University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $14,388 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Buena Vista University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
BVU also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,210 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Buena Vista University.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Rockhurst University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Rockhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,869 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rockhurst University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
With a ranking of #13, Bellevue University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bellevue University is located in Bellevue, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bellevue University has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,933 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bellevue University.
Read full report on General Education at Bellevue University
Harris - Stowe State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harris - Stowe State University is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Harris - Stowe State University is $10,014 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Education at Harris - Stowe State University
Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Concordia College Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Concordia College Moorhead has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,881 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia College at Moorhead.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Concordia College at Moorhead
Loras College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Loras not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loras College is $16,154 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Webster University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Webster University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 21 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Webster also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Webster is $18,661 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Missouri Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. MBU is a small school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 15 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
MBU also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $15,754 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri Baptist University.
Peru State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Peru, Nebraska, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,005 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Peru State.
Avila University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Avila did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,672 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Avila.
Dordt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Sioux Center, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dordt, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $24,967 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Benedictine College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Benedictine College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atchison, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Benedictine College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,742 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Benedictine College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
North Central University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central University also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $17,582 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at North Central University
Tabor College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hillsboro, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Tabor also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $21,218 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tabor.
William Woods University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William Woods University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fulton, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William Woods, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $21,691 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William Woods University.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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