by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 366,996 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across the Plains States region, there were 26,538 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,488 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 60 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their liberal arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harris - Stowe State University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region. Harris - Stowe State University is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Jewell College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Liberty, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri Southern State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Missouri Southern State University is a small school located in Joplin, Missouri that handed out 90 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Missouri Southern State University
Out of the 60 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #4 spot on the list. FHSU is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 257 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Fort Hays State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Simpson College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Simpson College is located in Indianola, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 135 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Liberal Arts Report
Lincoln University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Lincoln University is a public institution located in Jefferson City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Maharishi International University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Fairfield, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Maharishi International University
University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UMSL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 102 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
Pittsburg State University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
Grand View University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Grand View University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 17 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Friends University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Friends University is a small school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 15 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 218 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.
University of Northern Iowa landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 105 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Central Christian College of Kansas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Central Christian College of Kansas is a private not-for-profit institution located in McPherson, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Central Christian College
Doane University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Crete, Nebraska, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.
Dordt University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Dordt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Center, Iowa. It awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Mount Mercy University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
Augustana University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Augustana Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
University of Dubuque came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UD is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
With a ranking of #23, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Iowa State University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 80 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Bethany Lutheran College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. BLC is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, 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 87%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
