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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

35 Ranked Colleges
3,129 Degrees Awarded
$11,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 31,703 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,800 and $15,275 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,129 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

The liberal arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 General Studies Report

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #2 spot on the list. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 100 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Mizzou

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school awarded 249 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

FHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FHSU is $9,464 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Fort Hays State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska at Omaha. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 318 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $10,490 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UNOMAHA

#5

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $11,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 General Studies at University of North Dakota

#6

Fontbonne University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Fontbonne University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fontbonne University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fontbonne University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Fontbonne University is $12,913 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Fontbonne University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#7

College of Saint Mary

Omaha, Nebraska

College of Saint Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Mary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Saint Mary also took the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,944 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Mary.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 General Studies at Saint Mary

#8

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

With a ranking of #8, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 76 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $10,757 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#9

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa

#10

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #10, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Southeast Missouri State University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $9,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#11

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Minot, North Dakota, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,923 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU.

Full Minot State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#12

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #12, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,401 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMSL.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UMSL

With a ranking of #13, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Joplin, Missouri, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $7,882 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Missouri Southern State University

#14

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $12,065 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UMKC

#15

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pittsburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Pittsburg, Kansas. It awarded 53 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitt State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,638 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pittsburg State University.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Pittsburg State University

#16

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

With a ranking of #16, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Missouri is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 86 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Missouri is $10,608 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UCM Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#17

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

With a ranking of #17, Emporia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ESU is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 39 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, ESU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ESU.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at ESU

#18

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.

WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $11,642 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Wichita State University

#19

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 4 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $14,232 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at K -State

#20

Mayville State University

Mayville, North Dakota

Mayville State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mayville State University is a small public school situated in Mayville, North Dakota. It awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mayville State University is $7,679 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Mayville State University

#21

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 16 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SLU is $20,051 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SLU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#22

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 109 students in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $14,387 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Studies at KU

#23

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

With a ranking of #23, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, South Dakota State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $15,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#24

William Jewell College

Liberty, Missouri

William Jewell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Liberty, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

William Jewell also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,989 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k 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%. 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.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at William Jewell

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $12,527 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Missouri State

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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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