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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

121 Ranked Colleges
5,435 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 40,622 people earned their degree in elementary education, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 6,219 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,435 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 121 colleges that offer a degree in elementary education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality elementary education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the elementary education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 19 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $4,230 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full UMN Morris Elementary Education Report

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 121 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 Elementary Education at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#3

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Valley City State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Valley City State University is located in Valley City, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Valley City State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Valley City State University is $7,026 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at Valley City State University

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 170 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 Elementary Education at Iowa State University

#5

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 288 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $10,757 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Northern Iowa

#6

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Minot, North Dakota, this small public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $8,923 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at MSU

#6 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school handed out 111 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $12,216 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#15 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Elementary Education Report

#9

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

Winona State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 165 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,381 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winona State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Winona State University

#10

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Dickinson State University is a small school located in Dickinson, North Dakota that handed out 18 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Dickinson State University is $8,402 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at DSU

#11

College of Saint Mary

Omaha, Nebraska

College of Saint Mary landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Mary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary is $10,944 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read more about Elementary Education at College of Saint Mary

#12

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $10,688 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at St. Cloud State University

#13

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#14 in overall quality

University of North Dakota came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 91 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $11,092 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UND

#14

Mayville State University

Mayville, North Dakota

Mayville State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mayville, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mayville State University is $7,679 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at Mayville State University

#15

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas
#22 in overall quality

Emporia State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emporia State University is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 152 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ESU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $11,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at ESU

#20 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 103 students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Minnesota State Mankato

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,490 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UNOMAHA

#18

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 88 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $10,632 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Bemidji State University Elementary Education Report

Fort Hays State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,464 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FHSU.

Full FHSU Elementary Education Report

#20

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WSC is located in Wayne, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,333 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WSC.

Read full report on Elementary Education at WSC

With a ranking of #21, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $9,990 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Northwest

#22

Bethany Lutheran College

Mankato, Minnesota

Bethany Lutheran College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Bethany Lutheran College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 7 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BLC is $10,038 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full BLC Elementary Education Report

#23

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#17 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 138 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $14,232 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full K -State Elementary Education Report

Missouri Southern State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Missouri Southern is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $7,882 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Missouri Southern

#25

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Saint Joseph, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,762 for plains states region bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri Western.

Read more about Elementary Education at Missouri Western

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Vgrigas.

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