2026 Best Value African American Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
[African American Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/african-american-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for african american studies students.
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2026 Best Value African American Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in african american studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value African American Studies Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Minnesota Twin Cities the best value for a degree in african american studies in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $17,214 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Typical student debt for african american studies graduates is $21,964. Soon after graduation, african american studies degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $33,000. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Iowa earned it the #2 place for african american studies. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the african american studies program here. Early-career african american studies graduates make about $34,216. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. University Of Iowa admits about 84% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Washington University In St Louis one of the best values for african american studies. Located in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $65,790. Typical student debt for african american studies graduates is $17,553. African American Studies graduates of Washington University In St Louis earn a median of $16,635 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,553 median debt. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 7 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.
