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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

59 Ranked Colleges
1,483 Degrees Awarded
$10,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Economics is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 31,150 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,532 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,483 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 59 colleges that offered a degree in general economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank General Economics Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 General Economics 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $5,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington University in St Louis General Economics Report

#2

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carleton has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton is $9,579 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Carleton

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 181 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities General Economics Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $4,230 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Morris General Economics Report

#5

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Olaf College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,459 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Olaf.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full St. Olaf General Economics Report

#13 in overall quality

Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,755 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#7

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#24 in overall quality

Truman State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Truman State University is a small school located in Kirksville, Missouri that handed out 15 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Truman State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $7,564 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on General Economics at Truman State University

#11 in overall quality

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 47 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Economics at Iowa State University

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%.

Read more about General Economics at UMN Duluth

#10

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $10,757 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 General Economics at UNI

#16 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on General Economics at Mizzou

#12

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

With a ranking of #12, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Bemidji, Minnesota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,632 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read more about General Economics at Bemidji State University

#20 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 37 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $12,216 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,524 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at North Dakota State University

#15

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#14 in overall quality

University of Iowa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,975 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Iowa.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Iowa General Economics Report

#16

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $7,401 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Economics at University of Missouri - St Louis

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 General Economics at Minnesota State Mankato

#18

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

Saint Johns University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. SJU is located in Collegeville, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

SJU also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,683 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Johns University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SJU General Economics Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha General Economics Report

#20

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 7 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,688 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Full St. Cloud State University General Economics Report

#21

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Gustavus Adolphus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $12,150 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 more about General Economics at Gustavus Adolphus

#22

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 5 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $12,381 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State General Economics Report

#23

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,388 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lindenwood University.

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%.

Read more about General Economics at Lindenwood University

Northwest Missouri State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $9,990 for plains states region bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Economics at Northwest Missouri State University

Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $12,484 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead General Economics Report

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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