2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.
Across the Plains States region, there were 26,613 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,368 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,161 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fort Hays State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school handed out 249 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
FHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FHSU is $12,549 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,894 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.
Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri Southern State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Missouri Southern is a public institution located in Joplin, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Missouri Southern has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,124 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Missouri Southern State University.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Missouri Southern State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 190 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $18,272 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
University of Northern Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.
UNI also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $15,729 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 86%.
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 151 students in 2019-2020.
UMKC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $14,571 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Pittsburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Pittsburg, Kansas. It awarded 53 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt State is $15,056 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
University of Kansas landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $17,132 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
With a ranking of #10, Emporia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Emporia, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
ESU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ESU is $14,465 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
William Jewell College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. William Jewell College is a small school located in Liberty, Missouri that handed out 23 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William Jewell, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $25,211 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William Jewell College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Missouri State is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,204 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.
University of Mary came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UMary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,382 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMary.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Metropolitan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Metro State is a public institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Metro State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,869 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Metropolitan State University.
Lincoln University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, this small public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at LU Missouri, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,553 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lincoln University.
Grand View University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grand View University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,213 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Grand View University.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
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Best Liberal Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Liberal Arts students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
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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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