2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region
55
Ranked Colleges
3,291
Degrees Awarded
$19,500
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 55 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.
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
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 in the Plains States Region”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region education students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education in the Plains States Region
Out of the 55 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota landed the #1 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 education degrees to qualified students.
SMU MN also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is $21,101 for plains states region education students.
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%.
Full Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota General Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Walden University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 1,234 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Walden University, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about General Education at Walden University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Martin Luther College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in New Ulm, Minnesota, and it awarded 9 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
MLC also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $22,205 for plains states region education students per year to attend MLC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 32 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Winona State also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $17,634 for Plains States Region Education students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Winona State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwest Baptist University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bolivar, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 75 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students list, Southwest Baptist University has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southwest Baptist University is $17,291 for plains states region education students.
Read full report on General Education at Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Marshall, Minnesota. It awarded 110 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students 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 $13,872 for Plains States Region Education students.
Read more about General Education at Southwest Minnesota State University
Morningside College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 140 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Morningside, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Morningside College is $22,350 for plains states region education students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Full Morningside College General Education Report
Bethel University Minnesota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 28 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Bethel University Minnesota did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Bethel University Minnesota is $28,178 for plains states region education students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about General Education at Bethel University Minnesota
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 23 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $17,159 for Plains States Region Education students.
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 full report on General Education at Minnesota State Mankato
Minot State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Minot, North Dakota, and it awarded 23 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for MSU is $12,205 for Plains States Region Education students.
Read more about General Education at Minot State University
Hamline University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified ’s education students 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. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline is $20,474 for plains states region education students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Hamline University
Capella University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 133 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Capella University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,545 for plains states region education students per year to attend Capella University.
Full Capella University General Education Report
Bellevue University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bellevue, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $17,288 for plains states region education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Bellevue University General Education Report
Lindenwood University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Charles, Missouri, and it awarded 73 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students list, Lindenwood University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $17,366 for Plains States Region Education students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Lindenwood University General Education Report
Fort Hays State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 242 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,189 for Plains States Region Education students per year to attend FHSU.
Full Fort Hays State University General Education Report
University of Northwestern - St Paul ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $22,560 for plains states region education students per year to attend University of Northwestern - St Paul.
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%.
Read more about General Education at Northwestern
With a ranking of #17, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $16,033 for plains states region education students.
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 Bemidji State University
Rockhurst University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. Rockhurst University is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rockhurst, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,340 for plains states region education students per year to attend Rockhurst.
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 Saint Mary landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Saint Mary is located in Leavenworth, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of St. Mary is $21,868 for Plains States Region Education students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at University of St. Mary
Baker University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Baker is a small school located in Baldwin City, Kansas that handed out 64 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $22,374 for Plains States Region Education students per year to attend Baker University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Baker University General Education Report
Grand View University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 11 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $20,469 for Plains States Region Education students.
Full Grand View University General Education Report
Iowa State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $16,002 for Plains States Region Education students.
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 full report on General Education at Iowa State
University of Sioux Falls landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $21,662 for Plains States Region Education students per year to attend University of Sioux Falls.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 full report on General Education at University of Sioux Falls
Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Concordia College at Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
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 estimated yearly cost for Concordia College Moorhead is $23,189 for plains states region education students.
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
Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. Maryville U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Maryville University of Saint Louis is $27,290 for plains states region education students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Maryville U
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