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

62 Ranked Colleges
2,109 Degrees Awarded
$10,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,353 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,270 and $21,774 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,109 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 62 colleges that offered a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent economics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

The economics 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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 116 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

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

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Washington University in St Louis

#2

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carleton, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best 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 Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Economics at Carleton College

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 376 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 full report on Economics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 15 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,230 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Morris.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UMN Morris

#5

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 62 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #5 spot on the list. 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 also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $12,459 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics at St. Olaf

With a ranking of #6, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 9 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,755 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Economics Report

#7

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Truman State is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 15 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $7,564 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full Truman State Economics Report

Iowa State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Iowa State

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 27 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Economics Report

#10

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grinnell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grinnell, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $11,945 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Grinnell Economics Report

#11

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 37 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Northern Iowa Economics Report

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Economics at Mizzou

#13

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

Macalester also took the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,158 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Macalester.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Macalester College Economics Report

#14

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $10,632 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Bemidji State University Economics Report

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best 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 Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Economics at North Dakota State University

Fort Hays State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 124 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $9,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Economics at Fort Hays State University

#18

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 194 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa Economics Report

#19

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 18 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full UMSL Economics Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

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 Economics at Minnesota State Mankato

#21

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. SJU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegeville, Minnesota. It awarded 33 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SJU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,683 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SJU.

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%.

Read more about Economics at Saint Johns University

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Economics Report

#23

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $10,688 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saint Cloud State University Economics Report

#24

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 24 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus College is $12,150 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Gustavus Adolphus College Economics Report

#25

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

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

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Economics at Winona State 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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