2027 Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
[American U.S. Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/american-us-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value american u.s. studies schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in american u.s. studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools
Washington University In St Louis tops our 2027 list of the best value american u.s. studies schools in the The Plains States Region. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,790. American U.s. Studies graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans. Soon after graduation, american u.s. studies degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $30,716. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 12%.
University Of Iowa came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value american u.s. studies schools. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. In-state tuition and fees average $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Typical student debt for american u.s. studies graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, american u.s. studies degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $19,426. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
