4
Ranked Colleges
359
Degrees Awarded
$16,500
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Library & Information Science is the 134th most popular major in the country with 5,696 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Plains States region, there were 359 library and information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in library and information science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality library and information science programs that also have a lower cost than 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 library and information science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region library and information science students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emporia State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. ESU is a public institution located in Emporia, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 165 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
ESU also made our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Emporia State University is $14,794 for plains states region library and information science students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at Emporia State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Missouri. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region. UCM is a fairly large public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 25 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCM also made our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UCM is $14,058 for Plains States Region Library and Information Science students.
Read more about Library & Information Science at University of Central Missouri
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, St Catherine University landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 33 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Kate’s also took the #4 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,814 for plains states region library and information science students per year to attend St Catherine University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 St. Kate’s Library & Information Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 27 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,401 for plains states region library and information science students.
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 full report on Library & Information Science at Iowa
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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
- *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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Diliff.
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