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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

15 Ranked Colleges
608 Degrees Awarded
$9,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 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. 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 16,240 people earned their degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $30,827 and had an average of $22,562 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,040 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,300 and $23,472 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 608 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies programs, but they also cost less that 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 area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools

The area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $5,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at WUSTL

#2

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,579 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carleton.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Carleton College

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haskell Indian Nations University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haskell, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $2,596 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haskell.

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Haskell

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 36 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,443 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at UMN Duluth

#6

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,459 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St Olaf College.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at St Olaf College

#3 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Mizzou

#8

Oglala Lakota College

Kyle, South Dakota
#15 in overall quality

Oglala Lakota College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kyle, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oglala Lakota College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $-841 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oglala Lakota College. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Full Oglala Lakota College Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

#10 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Iowa State Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

#10

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Grinnell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Grinnell also made our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,945 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grinnell College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Grinnell College

#12 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $11,057 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 Minnesota State University - Mankato Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

#12

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

University of Iowa landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at Iowa

#13

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Saint Louis University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 17 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Louis University is $20,051 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies at SLU

#14

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#11 in overall quality

University of Kansas ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $14,387 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Kansas Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

#15

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#14 in overall quality

Wichita State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WSU is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 1 bachelors’s area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $11,642 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Wichita State University Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Report

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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 G. Mützel.

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