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2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

62 Ranked Colleges
2,109 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 62 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics 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 economics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 116 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $6,248 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WUSTL.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read full report on Economics at Washington University in St Louis

Out of the 62 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Morris.

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%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 62 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 376 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

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 $8,418 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#4

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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #4 spot on the list. St. Olaf 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St Olaf College is $12,276 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full St Olaf College Economics Report

#5

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Macalester College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,047 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Macalester.

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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Macalester Economics Report

#6

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #6, Carleton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton College is $9,358 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Carleton Economics Report

Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #15 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,660 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Economics Report

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,992 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

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 Economics at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#9

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Truman State University 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 $8,269 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Truman State University

Iowa State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 47 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,843 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Iowa State University Economics Report

#11

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Grinnell is located in Grinnell, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Grinnell also took the #4 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $14,818 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Grinnell

With a ranking of #12, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,595 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Missouri - Columbia

#13

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 18 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $6,838 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Economics at UMSL

#14

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $11,658 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Economics at Bemidji State University

#15

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNI is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 37 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNI has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,495 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNI.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at University of Northern Iowa

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $12,544 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full North Dakota State University Economics Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. 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 Mankato is $11,781 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Economics Report

Fort Hays State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. FHSU is located in Hays, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 124 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FHSU.

Full FHSU Economics Report

#19

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Collegeville, Minnesota, and 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 $15,628 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.

Read more about Economics at SJU

#22 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 37 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $13,508 for plains states region bachelor’s degree economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UNL

#21

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $11,274 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full St. Cloud State University Economics Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 UNOMAHA is $11,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Economics Report

#23

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

With a ranking of #23, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Charles, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $13,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Lindenwood University

#24

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,669 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus College.

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%. 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 Gustavus Adolphus College Economics Report

#25

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 194 diplomas 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 Iowa is $15,073 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Economics 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

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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