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2023 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

100 Ranked Colleges
31,199 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 31,199 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,497 and $16,369 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 100 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. MCC is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 568 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

MCC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $4,315 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Metropolitan Community College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at MCC

2
SCC crest
St Charles Community College
Cottleville, Missouri

Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, St Charles Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. St Charles Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Cottleville, Missouri. It awarded 531 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

SCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $3,248 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend SCC.

Full St Charles Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. MCC is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 2,357 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

MCC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $6,966 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

4
MSU-Bottineau crest
Dakota College at Bottineau
Bottineau, North Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dakota College at Bottineau. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Dakota College at Bottineau is a public institution located in Bottineau, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MSU-Bottineau not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend MSU-Bottineau is $10,490 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Dakota College at Bottineau

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend State Fair Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Sedalia, Missouri, and it awarded 429 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend State Fair Community College is $6,607 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Full State Fair Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Garden City Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Garden City Community College is a small public school situated in Garden City, Kansas. It awarded 227 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Garden City Community College is $5,217 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Garden City Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

7
BSC crest
Bismarck State College
Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck State College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bismarck, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BSC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bismarck State College is $9,756 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Full BSC Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

8

Des Moines Area Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Ankeny, Iowa, this large public school handed out 1,170 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

DMACC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Des Moines Area Community College is $9,557 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Des Moines Area Community College

9
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Iowa

10

With a ranking of #10, Ozarks Technical Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 629 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend OTC is $7,525 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ozarks Technical Community College

11
Independence Community College crest
Independence Community College
Independence, Kansas

Independence Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Independence Community College is a public institution located in Independence, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Independence Community College is $6,925 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Independence Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

12

Haskell Indian Nations University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Haskell is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Haskell is $3,271 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Haskell Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

13
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Century College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Century College is located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 426 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Century College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Century College is $10,397 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Century College

14

Johnson County Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Overland Park, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 1,257 students in 2020-2021.

JCCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for JCCC is $13,371 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at JCCC

15

With a ranking of #15, Iowa Central Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa Central Community College is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 426 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Iowa Central Community College is $9,695 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Full Iowa Central Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

16

With a ranking of #16, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,309 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Western Iowa Tech Community College

17
Iowa Western Community College crest
Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 493 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, Iowa Western Community College has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Western Community College is $11,682 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Iowa Western Community College

18
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Louis Community College is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,372 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis Community College is $7,056 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Saint Louis Community College

19

Coffeyville Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Coffeyville, Kansas, and it awarded 178 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Coffeyville Community College is $6,214 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Coffeyville Community College

20

Fort Hays State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Fort Hays State University is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 356 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FHSU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,189 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend FHSU.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Fort Hays State University

21

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $12,232 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

22

Labette Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Parsons, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Labette Community College is $6,515 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Labette Community College

23

Barton County Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Barton Community College is a small public school situated in Great Bend, Kansas. It awarded 382 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,003 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Barton Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Barton County Community College

24
North Hennepin Community College crest
North Hennepin Community College
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

North Hennepin Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Hennepin Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It awarded 249 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,081 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend North Hennepin Community College.

Full North Hennepin Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

25
Southeastern Community College crest
Southeastern Community College
West Burlington, Iowa

With a ranking of #25, Southeastern Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in West Burlington, Iowa, and it awarded 248 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Community College is $7,005 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Southeastern Community College

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