2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 377 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia College Missouri not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $26,730 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Columbia College Missouri.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Dakota. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 110 students in 2019-2020.
UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend University of North Dakota.
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%.
Full University of North Dakota Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Dakota. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. USD is a public institution located in Vermillion, South Dakota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USD, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of South Dakota is $18,555 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
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%.
Full University of South Dakota 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 that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #4 spot on the list. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 30 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
South Dakota State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $19,252 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at South Dakota State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. MSU is a small public school situated in Minot, North Dakota. It awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $11,898 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Fort Hays State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Fort Hays State University is located in Hays, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 249 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, FHSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,053 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend FHSU.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Fort Hays State University
Southeast Missouri State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Cape Girardeau, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 172 students in 2019-2020.
Southeast Missouri State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Southeast Missouri State University
University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 318 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
With a ranking of #9, University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Kearney, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
UNK also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney is $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Nebraska at Kearney
With a ranking of #10, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. 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 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 $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Iowa State.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Central Missouri came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UCM is $13,677 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Central Missouri
With a ranking of #12, Mayville State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Mayville, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,378 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Mayville State University.
Full Mayville State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Pitt State is a medium-sized public school situated in Pittsburg, Kansas. It awarded 53 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Pitt State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt State is $14,436 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Pittsburg State University
University of Northern Iowa came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Missouri State University - Springfield 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 ranking. Missouri State is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,725 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Missouri State
Missouri Southern State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. 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 arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern is $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Full Missouri Southern State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
University of Mary ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Mary is a small school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 24 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UMary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,410 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Mary
College of Saint Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Saint Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary is $14,325 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at College of Saint Mary
Wichita State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Wichita State University is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 89 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WSU is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wichita State University
Emporia 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 ranking. ESU is a medium-sized public school situated in Emporia, Kansas. It awarded 39 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students 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. The estimated yearly cost for Emporia State University is $14,822 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
With a ranking of #21, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University is $15,225 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
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 ranking. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 109 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
KU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts 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.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Kansas
University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 100 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Mizzou also took the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Mizzou.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 General Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia
With a ranking of #24, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 4 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Kansas State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #25, Fontbonne University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students 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 $15,961 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
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.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Fontbonne University
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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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