2023 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
54
Ranked Colleges
3,291
Degrees Awarded
$12,500
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,291 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 54 colleges that offer a degree in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general education 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 general education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 13 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,843 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full UMN Duluth General Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $9,766 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Read more about General Education at Iowa State
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 38 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,005 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full Mizzou General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 79 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMSL has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,991 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMSL.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Missouri - St Louis
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota landed the #5 spot on the list. SMU MN is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 262 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
SMU MN also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $15,801 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at SMU MN
With a ranking of #6, Winona State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 32 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Winona State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,721 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winona State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Winona State University
St Olaf College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
St. Olaf also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $11,112 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Olaf.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at St. Olaf
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 21 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus is $15,735 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Gustavus Adolphus College
Minot State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Minot, North Dakota, and it awarded 23 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $8,920 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Minot State University General Education Report
Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Marshall, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Southwest Minnesota State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,578 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University General Education Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,692 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Minnesota State Mankato
Fort Hays State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school handed out 242 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fort Hays State University is $9,774 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full FHSU General Education Report
University of Iowa ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $13,554 for plains states region 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 full report on General Education at Iowa
Hamline University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 56 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Hamline did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,522 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hamline.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Hamline University
University of North Dakota ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $12,394 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on General Education at UND
With a ranking of #16, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $10,178 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Bemidji State University General Education Report
Kansas State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 15 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $13,436 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full K -State General Education Report
Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
Lindenwood University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $12,948 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Lindenwood University General Education Report
Northeast Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeast Community College is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeast is $6,320 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Northeast Community College General Education Report
Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Concordia College at Moorhead is a small school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 7 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Concordia College Moorhead has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia College Moorhead is $19,155 for Plains States Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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
Rockhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Rockhurst is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
Rockhurst also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,440 for plains states region 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Rockhurst
University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,724 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on General Education at University of Missouri - Kansas City
With a ranking of #23, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SLU is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, SLU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SLU is $15,136 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on General Education at Saint Louis University
Southwest Baptist University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southwest Baptist University is a small school located in Bolivar, Missouri that handed out 75 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southwest Baptist University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Baptist University is $16,346 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Education at Southwest Baptist University
Bellevue University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $17,383 for plains states region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Bellevue University
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