2023 Best Value Colleges for Occupational Therapy in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
1,007
Degrees Awarded
$20,900
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 9,958 people earned their degree in occupational therapy/therapist, making the major the 83rd most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 1,007 occupational therapy/therapist graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in occupational therapy/therapist. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent occupational therapy/therapist 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 occupational therapy/therapist program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The occupational therapy 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 Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region”.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Occupational Therapy in the Plains States Region
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mary landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 60 ’s occupational therapy degrees in 2020-2021.
UMary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,572 for plains states region occupational therapy students per year to attend University of Mary.
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 Occupational Therapy at UMary
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rockhurst University landed the #2 spot on the list. Rockhurst University is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 77 ’s occupational therapy degrees in 2020-2021.
Rockhurst also took the #8 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,340 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students per year to attend Rockhurst University.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Occupational Therapy at Rockhurst University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri State University - Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 25 ’s occupational therapy degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for plains states region occupational therapy students.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Missouri State University - Springfield Occupational Therapy Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of Saint Mary. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region. Saint Mary is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s occupational therapy degrees to qualified students.
Saint Mary also made our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $14,345 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students per year to attend Saint Mary.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Occupational Therapy at College of Saint Mary
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Creighton University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region list. Creighton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region occupational therapy students list, Creighton has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $31,218 for plains states region occupational therapy students per year to attend Creighton University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Occupational Therapy at Creighton University
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.
UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UND is $16,966 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 UND Occupational Therapy Report
The College of Saint Scholastica landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
St. Scholastica not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The College of Saint Scholastica is $22,545 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full St. Scholastica Occupational Therapy Report
University of South Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized public school situated in Vermillion, South Dakota. It awarded 37 ’s occupational therapy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USD, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,389 for plains states region occupational therapy students per year to attend USD.
The low undergrad 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 Occupational Therapy at University of South Dakota
Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
Maryville U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $27,290 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students per year to attend Maryville University of Saint Louis.
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 more about Occupational Therapy at Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Ambrose University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Ambrose University is $26,292 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Occupational Therapy at St. Ambrose University
St Catherine University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified ’s occupational therapy students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region occupational therapy students list, St. Kate’s has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Kate’s is $17,814 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy 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 Occupational Therapy at St Catherine University
University of Kansas landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $20,257 for plains states region occupational therapy students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Full KU Occupational Therapy Report
With a ranking of #13, Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 23 ’s occupational therapy degrees in 2020-2021.
Nebraska Methodist College also made our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Nebraska Methodist College is $24,108 for plains states region occupational therapy students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Nebraska Methodist College Occupational Therapy Report
Allen College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Allen College is located in Waterloo, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s occupational therapy degrees to qualified students.
Allen College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Occupational Therapy at Allen College
With a ranking of #15, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s occupational therapy degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region Occupational Therapy students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on Occupational Therapy at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 43 ’s occupational therapy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,559 for plains states region occupational therapy students per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Occupational Therapy at University of Missouri - Columbia
Cox College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region list. Cox College is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s occupational therapy degrees to qualified students.
Cox College also made our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Cox College Occupational Therapy Report
Saint Louis University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 111 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SLU, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $25,039 for plains states region occupational therapy students per year to attend Saint Louis University.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read full report on Occupational Therapy at SLU
A T Still University of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s occupational therapy degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
A T Still University of Health Sciences also took the #4 spot in our “Best Occupational Therapy Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Occupational Therapy at A T Still University of Health Sciences
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
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
- *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
college factual
