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2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

53 Ranked Colleges
2,132 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,132 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,488 and $23,349 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 110 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Washington University in St Louis Economics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 417 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Economics Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 9 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,230 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Morris.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Minnesota - Morris

4
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Carleton College landed the #4 spot on the list. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Carleton is $13,410 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 94%.

Read more about Economics at Carleton

5

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #5 spot on the list. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $8,697 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Economics Report

6
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 90 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $11,138 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at St. Olaf

7

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 50 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $11,427 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Iowa State University Economics Report

8

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $8,324 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at UMSL

9
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Truman State University is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 23 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $8,898 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Truman State Economics Report

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 115 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,386 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Economics Report

11
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grinnell, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Grinnell also made our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $13,671 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grinnell Economics Report

12
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 57 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Macalester, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,543 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Macalester.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Macalester College

13
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 25 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,151 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UND.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at University of North Dakota

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $13,175 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 University of Northern Iowa

15
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 135 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Iowa also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,508 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at University of Iowa

16
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus College is $16,445 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $13,453 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. 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 Economics at UNL

18
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 118 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, KU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,288 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Kansas.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Economics at University of Kansas

19

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $12,735 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Economics at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

20

Fort Hays State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 152 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fort Hays State University is $10,847 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Economics at FHSU

21

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,194 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Moorhead.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Economics Report

22
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and it awarded 14 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,406 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Read more about Economics at Southeast Missouri State University

23
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 16 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $10,825 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Cloud State University Economics Report

24

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 20 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNOMAHA is $11,294 for plains states region economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNOMAHA Economics Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $13,751 for Plains States Region Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMKC Economics Report

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