2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Education is the 35th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,296 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,903 and $30,143 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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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The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region”.
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Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value 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 be in good company if you decide to attend Bellevue University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students list, Bellevue University has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $15,616 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
Southwest Minnesota State University also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $14,397 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University General Education Report
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lindenwood University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Saint Charles, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s 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 yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,491 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Lindenwood University
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kansas State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students 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. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value 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. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this small public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Harris - Stowe State University is $10,551 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
Full Harris - Stowe State University General Education Report
Peru State College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Peru State College is located in Peru, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Peru State is $14,058 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students.
North Central University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value 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 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. The estimated yearly cost for North Central University is $21,142 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read more about General Education at North Central University
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Mizzou also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Mizzou.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
With a ranking of #9, Bethany Lutheran College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. BLC is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
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. It costs about $16,368 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend BLC.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Avila University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
Avila also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Avila University is $17,048 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
Webster University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Webster is a medium-sized school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 21 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students list, Webster has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Webster University is $22,768 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
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%.
Midland University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Fremont, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Midland U, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Midland U is $21,128 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
William Woods University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Fulton, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students 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 $24,593 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend William Woods.
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%. 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 #14, Missouri Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Missouri Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students list, MBU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MBU is $20,444 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students.
Loras College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Loras is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students list, Loras has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,676 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Loras.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Dordt University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Dordt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dordt also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $25,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Dordt University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, Crown College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Crown is a small school located in Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Crown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Crown College is $26,396 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
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 education students per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.
Full University of Missouri - St Louis General Education Report
Benedictine College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Benedictine College is a small school located in Atchison, Kansas that handed out 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Benedictine College also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine College is $23,011 for plains states region bachelor’s degree 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Benedictine College
MidAmerica Nazarene University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value 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.
MNU also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MNU is $26,222 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree 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.
Buena Vista University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Storm Lake, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BVU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Buena Vista University is $17,544 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students.
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.
With a ranking of #22, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Concordia College at Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 3 bachelors’s education degrees 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. It costs about $23,029 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Concordia College at Moorhead.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Concordia College at Moorhead
Rockhurst University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Rockhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Rockhurst also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Rockhurst is $21,116 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Tabor College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Hillsboro, Kansas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tabor, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $24,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Tabor College.
Hamline University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Hamline also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline is $20,866 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students.
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%.
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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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