2026 Best Best Schools in the The Plains States Region
Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 35 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for best students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Best in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in the The Plains States Region.
Top Schools in Best
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities tops our 2026 ranking of the best best schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Minneapolis. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities graduates 85% of students within six years. About 54 best degrees were awarded at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities in the most recent year. Best graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $56,395 early in their careers. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities graduates carry a median of $21,577 in student loans.
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Students looking for a strong best program will find one at Maryville University Of Saint Louis, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 66%. There were roughly 130 best students who graduated with this degree at Maryville University Of Saint Louis in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Maryville University Of Saint Louis generally make around $67,909. Typical student debt for the program is $24,499.
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South Dakota State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best best schools. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. About 49 best degrees were awarded at South Dakota State University in the most recent year. Best graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $51,260 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,989 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong best program will find one at University Of Missouri Kansas City, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Kansas City, University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public institution. University Of Missouri Kansas City graduates 54% of students within six years. University Of Missouri Kansas City awarded about 17 best degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from University Of Missouri Kansas City generally make around $60,324. Students borrow a median of $23,741 to complete this degree.
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Bellevue University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best best schools. Set in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 33%. There were roughly 121 best students who graduated with this degree at Bellevue University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $61,548 in their early career. Bellevue University graduates carry a median of $27,852 in student loans.
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Truman State University placed #6 among the best best schools. Located in the town of Kirksville, Truman State University is a mid-sized public university. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 21 best students who graduated with this degree at Truman State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Truman State University generally make around $39,764. Typical student debt for the program is $23,168.
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Wichita State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best best schools. Wichita State University is a large public school located in the city of Wichita. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 42 best degrees were awarded at Wichita State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from Wichita State University earn around $49,278 in the first couple years of their career. Wichita State University graduates carry a median of $24,262 in student loans.
More information about a degree in best from Wichita State University
University Of Iowa landed the #8 spot for best this year. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. University Of Iowa graduates 75% of students within six years. University Of Iowa awarded about 18 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $57,375 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,463.
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Winona State University came in at #9 for best this year. Winona State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Winona. The six-year graduation rate is 56%. About 16 best degrees were awarded at Winona State University in the most recent year. Best graduates of Winona State University earn a median of $53,109 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $24,551.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 35 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
