2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k
54
Ranked Colleges
3,291
Degrees Awarded
$13,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Education is the 41st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,719 and had an average of $23,394 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,291 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,616 and $27,696 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 54 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 13 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $8,697 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about General Education at University of Minnesota - Duluth
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - St Louis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 79 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMSL has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $8,324 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at UMSL
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 19 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,427 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Mizzou also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,386 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about General Education at Mizzou
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minot State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. MSU is a small public school situated in Minot, North Dakota. It awarded 23 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,060 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Minot State University.
Read full report on General Education at Minot State University
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 262 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SMU MN, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is $16,493 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota General Education Report
With a ranking of #7, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 21 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Gustavus Adolphus also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $16,445 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 more about General Education at Gustavus Adolphus College
St Olaf College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 4 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Olaf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St Olaf College is $11,138 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at St Olaf College
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public institution located in Marshall, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 110 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Southwest Minnesota State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $10,945 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on General Education at Southwest Minnesota State University
Winona State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 32 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $12,963 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Winona State University
With a ranking of #11, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $12,263 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Minnesota State Mankato
Fort Hays State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. FHSU is located in Hays, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 242 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,847 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fort Hays State University.
Full FHSU General Education Report
With a ranking of #13, Northeast Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeast is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Northeast is $7,170 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Northeast Community College
University of North Dakota landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 1 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $13,151 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at UND
Lindenwood University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 73 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Lindenwood University also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $13,008 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Read more about General Education at Lindenwood University
University of Iowa came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 27 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Iowa has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $15,508 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about General Education at University of Iowa
With a ranking of #17, Hamline University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 56 ’s 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 $17,386 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k 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 more about General Education at Hamline University
Bemidji State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $10,377 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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
With a ranking of #19, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Storm Lake, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,348 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Buena Vista University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read more about General Education at Buena Vista University
Bellevue University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bellevue University is a fairly large school located in Bellevue, Nebraska that handed out 3 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $17,911 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on General Education at Bellevue University
Kansas State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
K -State also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,653 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kansas State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Kansas State University General Education Report
Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Concordia College at Moorhead is a small school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 7 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia College Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College Moorhead is $17,354 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about General Education at Concordia College Moorhead
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,751 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMKC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at University of Missouri - Kansas City
Rockhurst University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rockhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 10 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Rockhurst also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $15,034 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rockhurst.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 more about General Education at Rockhurst
Martin Luther College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in New Ulm, Minnesota, and it awarded 9 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
MLC also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend MLC is $24,585 for plains states region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about General Education at MLC
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