2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Plains States Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Education is the 28th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 27 colleges that offer a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bellevue University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
Bellevue University also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $15,616 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
Read full report on General Education at Bellevue University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwest Minnesota State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized school located in Marshall, Minnesota that handed out 12 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students list, Southwest Minnesota State University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
Read more about General Education at Southwest Minnesota State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lindenwood University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 13 bachelors’s general education degrees 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. It costs about $17,491 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students per year to attend Lindenwood University.
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%.
Read full report on General Education at Lindenwood University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kansas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. K -State is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students per year to attend Kansas State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Harris - Stowe State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,551 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students per year to attend Harris - Stowe State University.
Read more about General Education at Harris - Stowe State University
Peru State College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Peru State College is a public institution located in Peru, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Peru State College is $14,058 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
North Central University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. North Central University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.
North Central University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $21,142 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students per year to attend North Central University.
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%.
Read full report on General Education at North Central University
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students 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 University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Missouri - Columbia
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BLC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend BLC is $16,368 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Avila University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Avila 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.
Avila also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Avila is $17,048 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
Webster University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Webster is a medium-sized school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 21 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Webster, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Webster is $22,768 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Midland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Midland U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fremont, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Midland U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Midland University is $21,128 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
With a ranking of #13, William Woods University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. William Woods is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fulton, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
William Woods also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend William Woods is $24,593 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #14, Missouri Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
MBU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,444 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students per year to attend Missouri Baptist University.
Read full report on General Education at Missouri Baptist University
With a ranking of #15, Loras College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. 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 Loras, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loras is $20,676 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
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%.
Dordt University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Dordt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Center, Iowa. It awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees 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 University is $25,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
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%.
Crown College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Crown is a small school located in Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Crown also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $26,396 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students per year to attend Crown.
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 24 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
UMSL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students per year to attend UMSL.
Read more about General Education at University of Missouri - St Louis
Benedictine College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine College is $23,011 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
MidAmerica Nazarene University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. MNU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Olathe, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students list, MNU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MidAmerica Nazarene University is $26,222 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
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.
With a ranking of #21, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Storm Lake, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
BVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BVU is $17,544 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
Concordia College Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College Moorhead is $23,029 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
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 more about General Education at Concordia College Moorhead
Rockhurst University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Rockhurst is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.
Rockhurst also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Rockhurst is $21,116 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Tabor College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Hillsboro, Kansas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students list, Tabor has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tabor College is $24,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
Hamline University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 26 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.
Hamline did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline is $20,866 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general education students.
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%.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Education in the Plains States Region
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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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