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2024 Best Schools for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region for Bachelor's Degrees

146 Colleges
$14,558 Avg Net Price (With Aid)*
51% Discount Rate*

There are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Plains States Region Schools For The Money For Those Getting Aid for a Bachelor's ranking - to help you make that decision. Due to the amount of income-based financial aid available, many 'high-priced' schools are more affordable than you think.

In This Year's Value Report:

Choosing the Best School for You

Our analysis looked at 146 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones have the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.

Our Methodology

When determining the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking, we first look at its average net price, which is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.

To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.

Additional Rankings

You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.

Without Aid Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $0-$30k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $30-$48k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $48-$75k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $75-$110k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income Over $110k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
To get a better picture of the best value schools for your income range or for whether or not you'll receive aid, click on one of the tiles above. Are you more interested in the best value schools in your area? Try narrowing this list by location. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.

Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.

Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools (With Aid) in the Plains States Region

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

1

Missouri University of Science and Technology tops this year’s ranking as the best value (with aid) school for bachelor’s degrees in the Plains States Region for overall quality. Missouri University of Science and Technology is located in Rolla, Missouri and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.

Missouri University of Science and Technology has the honor of being ranked #2 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $13,589.

Learn More About Value at Missouri University of Science and Technology

2

The quality degree programs at Iowa State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa State University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $15,422.

Full Iowa State University Value Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. This large public school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Not only is University of Minnesota - Twin Cities a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Minnesota for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $17,468.

Learn More About Value at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

4
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

A rank of #4 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list means University of Missouri - St Louis is a great place for students working on their degree. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri.

University of Missouri - St Louis has the honor of being ranked #8 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $10,525 a year.

Learn More About Value at University of Missouri - St Louis

5
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

A rank of #5 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list means University of Iowa is a great place for students working on their degree. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Iowa is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $17,599.

Full University of Iowa Value Report

6
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Not only is University of Northern Iowa a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $15,231 a year.

Read full value report on University of Northern Iowa

7
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and has a small student population. It is a public school.

Truman State University has the honor of being ranked #12 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,470 a year.

Learn More About Value at Truman State University

8
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Bellevue University has the honor of being ranked #3 in Nebraska for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $15,229.

Read full value report on Bellevue University

9

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #9 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

University of Nebraska at Omaha has the honor of being ranked #4 in Nebraska for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $12,790 a year.

Read full value report on University of Nebraska at Omaha

10
Valley City State University crest
Valley City State University
Valley City, North Dakota

Valley City State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking. Valley City State University is a small public school located in Valley City, North Dakota.

Not only is Valley City State University a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in North Dakota for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,243 a year.

Learn More About Value at Valley City State University

11

University of Minnesota - Crookston ranked #11 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. UMN Crookston is a public institution located in Crookston, Minnesota.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Minnesota - Crookston is ranked #21 for quality in the state of Minnesota. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,925.

Full University of Minnesota - Crookston Value Report

12
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. Capella University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has a large student population. It is a private for-profit school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Capella University is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $17,840 a year.

Learn More About Value at Capella University

13

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking. This large public school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Not only is University of Nebraska - Lincoln a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Nebraska for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $18,403 a year.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Value Report

14

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Missouri - Columbia is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Missouri. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $18,249 a year.

Read full value report on University of Missouri - Columbia

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri.

University of Missouri - Kansas City has the honor of being ranked #6 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $14,368 a year.

Read full value report on University of Missouri - Kansas City

16
BSC crest
Bismarck State College
Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck State College landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking. Bismarck State College is a small public school located in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Not only is Bismarck State College a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in North Dakota for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $10,249.

Full Bismarck State College Value Report

17

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, the school is a fairly large public institution.

Not only is North Dakota State University - Main Campus a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in North Dakota for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $16,677.

Learn More About Value at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

18
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. MSU is located in Minot, North Dakota and has a small student population. It is a public school.

Not only is Minot State University a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in North Dakota for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $12,935 a year.

Learn More About Value at Minot State University

19
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.

Saint Cloud State University has the honor of being ranked #20 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $13,615.

Learn More About Value at Saint Cloud State University

20

With a ranking of #20, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota.

Not only is Minnesota State University - Mankato a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Minnesota for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $15,832.

Learn More About Value at Minnesota State University - Mankato

21
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas.

Not only is University of Kansas a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Kansas for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $18,608 a year.

Read full value report on University of Kansas

22

University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Morris, Minnesota, the school is a small public institution.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Minnesota - Morris is ranked #28 for quality in the state of Minnesota. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,652.

Read full value report on University of Minnesota - Morris

23

Missouri Southern State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. This small public school is located in Joplin, Missouri.

Not only is Missouri Southern State University a great value, but it is also ranked #27 in Missouri for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,703 a year.

Full Missouri Southern State University Value Report

24
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Wichita, Kansas.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Wichita State University is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Kansas. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $13,905.

Learn More About Value at Wichita State University

25
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #25, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region list. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

University of North Dakota has the honor of being ranked #2 in North Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $17,425.

Learn More About Value at University of North Dakota

View Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools (With Aid) Nationwide >

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Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in the Plains States Region ranking:

Rank College Location Value
26 Park University Parkville, MO Value Report
27 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS Value Report
28 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD Value Report
29 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO Value Report
29 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN Value Report

More Rankings >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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