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2023 Best Value Colleges for Nursing Practice in the Plains States Region

21 Ranked Colleges
1,262 Degrees Awarded
$20,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 7,992 people earned their degree in nursing practice, making the major the 105th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,262 nursing practice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in nursing practice. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing practice programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the nursing practice program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Practice Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region nursing practice students.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Nursing Practice in the Plains States Region

1
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Capella University landed the #1 spot on the list. Capella University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 171 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Capella University also took the #7 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Capella University is $16,545 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Capella University

2
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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 Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 143 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Walden University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice 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 Nursing Practice at Walden University

3
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Creighton University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region nursing practice students list, Creighton has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Creighton is $31,218 for plains states region nursing practice students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 92%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Creighton University

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 31 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $16,718 for plains states region nursing practice students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Missouri State University - Springfield

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Maryville University of Saint Louis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 44 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Maryville U also took the #5 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Maryville U is $27,290 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Maryville University of Saint Louis

6

With a ranking of #6, Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

Nebraska Methodist College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Nebraska Methodist College is $24,108 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health Nursing Practice Report

7
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 11 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

UMary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMary is $18,572 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at UMary

8
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, Iowa

Morningside College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

Morningside not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $22,350 for plains states region nursing practice students per year to attend Morningside College.

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%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Morningside College

9
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augsburg, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augsburg is $23,898 for plains states region nursing practice students.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Augsburg

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 46 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region nursing practice students list, KU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $20,257 for plains states region nursing practice students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Kansas

11
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 3 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SLU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $25,039 for plains states region nursing practice students.

The impressive undergraduate 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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Saint Louis University Nursing Practice Report

12
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

St Catherine University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 28 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Kate’s not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend St Catherine University is $17,814 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice 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%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at St Catherine University

13

University of Nebraska Medical Center did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 39 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNMC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at UNMC

14
Allen College crest
Allen College
Waterloo, Iowa

With a ranking of #14, Allen College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Waterloo, Iowa, and it awarded 4 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Allen College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Allen College Nursing Practice Report

15
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, Missouri

Columbia College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 106 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia College Missouri also took the #21 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Missouri is $26,668 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Columbia College

16

Pittsburg State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Pitt State is a public institution located in Pittsburg, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region nursing practice students list, Pitt State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,575 for plains states region nursing practice students per year to attend Pittsburg State University.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Pitt State

17
Washburn University crest
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas

With a ranking of #17, Washburn University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Topeka, Kansas, and it awarded 20 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region nursing practice students list, Washburn University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washburn University is $14,339 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Washburn University

18
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa also took the #3 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Iowa

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 47 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC also made our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,702 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students per year to attend UMKC.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMKC Nursing Practice Report

20

Concordia University, Saint Paul ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s nursing practice degrees to 415 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Saint Paul, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students per year to attend Concordia University, Saint Paul.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Concordia University, Saint Paul

21

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 35 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

UMSL also made our “Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $12,232 for Plains States Region Nursing Practice students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Missouri - St Louis

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