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2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

32 Ranked Colleges
3,607 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 129,869 general studies students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country.

Across the Plains States region, there were 3,607 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree in general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general studies 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 general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Garden City Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Garden City Community College is located in Garden City, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Garden City Community College also made our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $5,217 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid per year to attend Garden City Community College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at Garden City Community College

2

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Des Moines Area Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa. It awarded 125 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

DMACC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Des Moines Area Community College is $9,557 for plains states region general studies students with aid.

Full DMACC General Studies Report

3

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Ozarks Technical Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Ozarks Technical Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 28 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

OTC also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OTC is $7,525 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Ozarks Technical Community College

4
Independence Community College crest
Independence Community College
Independence, Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Independence Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Independence Community College is located in Independence, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Independence Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $6,925 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid per year to attend Independence Community College.

Read more about General Studies at Independence Community College

5

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Haskell Indian Nations University landed the #5 spot on the list. Haskell is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Haskell Indian Nations University is $3,271 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

Read full report on General Studies at Haskell Indian Nations University

6

Iowa Central Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa Central Community College is a medium-sized school located in Fort Dodge, Iowa that handed out 7 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa Central Community College also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Central Community College is $9,695 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Iowa Central Community College

7

Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Western Iowa Tech Community College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western Iowa Tech Community College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College is $8,309 for plains states region general studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Western Iowa Tech Community College

8
Iowa Western Community College crest
Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized school located in Council Bluffs, Iowa that handed out 53 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa Western Community College, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Western Community College is $11,682 for plains states region general studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Iowa Western Community College

9

Labette Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Labette Community College is located in Parsons, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Labette Community College also made our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $6,515 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid per year to attend Labette Community College.

Read more about General Studies at Labette Community College

10

Barton County Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Barton Community College is located in Great Bend, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Barton Community College also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barton County Community College is $10,003 for plains states region general studies students with aid.

Full Barton Community College General Studies Report

11
Leech Lake Tribal College crest
Leech Lake Tribal College
Cass Lake, Minnesota

Leech Lake Tribal College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Cass Lake, Minnesota, and it awarded 12 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Leech Lake Tribal College also made our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Leech Lake Tribal College is $5,376 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Studies at Leech Lake Tribal College

12

Wichita State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 82 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,859 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid per year to attend WSU.

Read more about General Studies at Wichita State University

13

Northeast Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Norfolk, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general studies degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

Northeast also made our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Northeast Community College is $9,029 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Full Northeast Community College General Studies Report

14
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 99 diplomas to qualified ’s general studies students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region general studies students with aid list, UND has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $16,966 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Studies at UND

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 346 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

UNOMAHA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $13,914 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Studies at UNOMAHA

16
Crowder College crest
Crowder College
Neosho, Missouri

With a ranking of #16, Crowder College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Neosho, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general studies degrees to 283 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Crowder College is $4,761 for plains states region general studies students with aid.

Full Crowder College General Studies Report

17
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region general studies students with aid list, South Dakota State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State General Studies Report

18
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s general studies students in 2020-2021.

UMary also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMary is $18,572 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

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 General Studies at University of Mary

19

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region general studies students with aid list, Mizzou has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,559 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Studies at Mizzou

20

North Central Missouri College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Trenton, Missouri, this small public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s general studies students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,281 for plains states region general studies students with aid per year to attend NCMC.

Full NCMC General Studies Report

21
MAC crest
Mineral Area College
Park Hills, Missouri

Mineral Area College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mineral Area College is located in Park Hills, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,866 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid per year to attend Mineral Area College.

Full Mineral Area College General Studies Report

22
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 132 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region general studies students with aid list, Southeast Missouri State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $13,568 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Southeast Missouri State University

23

Emporia State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. ESU is located in Emporia, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

ESU also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,794 for plains states region general studies students with aid per year to attend Emporia State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read full report on General Studies at ESU

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 58 ’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UNK also made our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $17,099 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

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 more about General Studies at UNK

25
Mayville State University crest
Mayville State University
Mayville, North Dakota

Mayville State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mayville State University is located in Mayville, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Mayville State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mayville State University is $13,856 for Plains States Region General Studies students with aid.

Read more about General Studies at Mayville State University

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