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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region

16 Ranked Colleges
1,368 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 365,980 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

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 Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school handed out 249 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FHSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,053 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Fort Hays State University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at FHSU

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, Iowa State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Iowa State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Iowa State University Liberal Arts Report

#3

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #3 spot on the list. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 97 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, UMSL has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Missouri - St Louis

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 190 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Full Iowa Liberal Arts Report

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri Southern State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri Southern, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern is $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Missouri Southern State University

#6

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 76 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, UNI has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UNI

#7

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Emporia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Emporia State University is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

ESU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $14,822 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at ESU

#8

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Pittsburg State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Pittsburg State University is a public institution located in Pittsburg, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pittsburg State University is $14,436 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Pittsburg State University Liberal Arts Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UMKC

#10

William Jewell College

Liberty, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

William Jewell College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. William Jewell is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Liberty, Missouri. It awarded 23 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

William Jewell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $27,316 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend William Jewell College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full William Jewell College Liberal Arts Report

#11

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#4 in overall quality

University of Kansas came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 104 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, KU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

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 full report on Liberal Arts at University of Kansas

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students 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. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $16,725 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Missouri State Liberal Arts Report

#13

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota
#12 in overall quality

University of Mary ranked #13 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students 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. The yearly cost to attend UMary is $17,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low 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 Liberal Arts at University of Mary

#14

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

Grand View University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #14. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Grand View University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $19,826 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Grand View University

#15

Lincoln University

Jefferson City, Missouri
#16 in overall quality

Lincoln University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #15. Jefferson City, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

LU Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,830 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Lincoln University.

Read more about Liberal Arts at LU Missouri

#16

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making Over $110k list. 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 also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Metro State is $15,225 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Metro State Liberal Arts Report

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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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