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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

103 Ranked Colleges
13,753 Degrees Awarded
$10,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 313,362 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 29,923 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,148 and $28,004 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,753 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 103 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at UMN Twin Cities

#2

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Out of the 103 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Truman State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $8,269 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing at Truman State University

#3

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Olaf College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also took the #3 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Olaf is $12,276 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full St. Olaf Nursing Report

#7 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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 13 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,843 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Nursing at Iowa State

#5

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minot State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Minot State University is located in Minot, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,187 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU.

Read full report on Nursing at Minot State University

#6

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #6, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,838 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMSL.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Missouri - St Louis

#7

College of Saint Mary

Omaha, Nebraska

With a ranking of #7, College of Saint Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. College of Saint Mary is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for College of Saint Mary is $8,336 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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.

Read more about Nursing at Saint Mary

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 215 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,595 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 at University of Missouri - Columbia

#9

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #9, Winona State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,606 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.

Full Winona State Nursing Report

With a ranking of #10, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 229 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,781 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

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 Nursing at Minnesota State Mankato

#11

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

With a ranking of #11, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 150 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,658 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read more about Nursing at Bemidji State University

#12

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 99 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $11,274 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Nursing at Saint Cloud State University

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 202 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,544 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Dakota State University.

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 full report on Nursing at North Dakota State University

#14

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 120 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k list, UND has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $11,916 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Nursing at UND

#15

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 120 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pittsburg State University is $11,973 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Pitt State Nursing Report

#16

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dickinson State University is located in Dickinson, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend DSU is $7,955 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Nursing at Dickinson State University

Missouri Southern State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Missouri Southern is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern is $8,416 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Nursing at Missouri Southern

Fort Hays State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FHSU.

Read full report on Nursing at Fort Hays State University

With a ranking of #19, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $11,410 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Nursing at Southwest Minnesota State University

#20

Mayville State University

Mayville, North Dakota

Mayville State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Mayville State University is located in Mayville, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Mayville State University is $10,298 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Nursing at Mayville State University

#21

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Missouri Western is a small public school situated in Saint Joseph, Missouri. It awarded 99 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Western State University is $9,096 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Missouri Western Nursing Report

#22

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCM is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 156 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCM is $12,022 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Nursing at UCM

#23

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 313 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend South Dakota State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State Nursing Report

#24

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Cape Girardeau, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $10,217 for plains states region bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Nursing at Southeast Missouri State University

#25

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, Missouri

Rockhurst University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 269 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Rockhurst University is $15,261 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low 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%.

Read full report on Nursing at Rockhurst University

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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.

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