by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking.
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.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 60 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular liberal arts programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college 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 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fort Hays State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Hays, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 257 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Fort Hays State University
Out of the 60 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 218 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 60 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 135 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri State University - Springfield. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s. Missouri State is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Missouri State University - Springfield
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Missouri - St Louis
With a ranking of #7, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Missouri Southern is a public institution located in Joplin, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Missouri Southern State University
Iowa State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 80 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 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 68 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, Pittsburg State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Maharishi International University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Maharishi International University is a small school located in Fairfield, Iowa that handed out 21 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Harris - Stowe State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
William Jewell College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. William Jewell College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Liberty, Missouri. It awarded 18 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate 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. 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%.
Grand View University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Friends University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Friends University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri University of Science and Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Metropolitan State University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Metropolitan State University
Simpson College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Simpson College is a small school located in Indianola, Iowa that handed out 14 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full Maryville University of Saint Louis Liberal Arts Report
Doane University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. 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%.
With a ranking of #20, Lincoln University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Lincoln University is a small public school situated in Jefferson City, Missouri. It awarded 11 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #22, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. St Olaf College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 9 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 91%. 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%.
Emporia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Emporia State University is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 9 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Augustana University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s liberal studies 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%.
Upper Iowa University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
