by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in the The Plains States Region, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This list ranks **124** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual analyzed 124 colleges on more than 20 objective measures such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Learn more about these excellent colleges below:
Washington University In St Louis tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges in the The Plains States Region. This private not-for-profit school is set in St. Louis, MO. Washington University In St Louis posts a six-year graduation rate of 94%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,790. Early-career graduates earn a median of $68,303. Students borrow a median of $17,553 to complete a degree here.
Out of the 124 colleges in the The Plains States Region in this year's ranking, Allen College landed the #2 spot. Allen College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waterloo, IA. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $24,787. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $82,049. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete a degree here.
You'll be in good company at Drake University, which ranked #3 this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Des Moines, IA. The six-year graduation rate is 73%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,960. Drake University graduates report median early-career earnings of $56,228. Drake University students take on a median of $22,273 in debt.
The strong outcomes at University Of St Thomas Minnesota earned it the #4 place in the The Plains States Region. University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The six-year graduation rate is 77%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $54,398. Early-career graduates earn a median of $65,183. The median student debt is $23,923.
Out of the 124 colleges in the The Plains States Region in this year's ranking, Bismarck State College landed the #5 spot. Set in Bismarck, ND, Bismarck State College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $5,247, compared with $7,331 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $61,364. Graduates carry a median of $13,340 in student loans.
Linn State Technical College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Linn, MO, Linn State Technical College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,160, compared with $14,610 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $45,538. Linn State Technical College students take on a median of $11,042 in debt.
Pittsburg State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Pittsburg, KS. About 51% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,400, with out-of-state students paying around $19,744. Median early-career earnings reach $50,003. Students borrow a median of $22,669 to complete a degree here.
Winona State University landed the #8 spot in the The Plains States Region this year. Winona State University is a public school based in Winona, MN. About 56% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,576, while out-of-state students pay about $17,308. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $53,109. Typical student debt is $24,551.
Kansas State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Set in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. Kansas State University graduates 71% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $11,221, with out-of-state students paying around $28,568. Kansas State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $51,543. Kansas State University students take on a median of $23,546 in debt.
Mitchell Technical Institute landed the #10 spot in the The Plains States Region this year. This public school is set in Mitchell, SD. Students from in state pay about $7,524 in tuition and fees. Mitchell Technical Institute graduates report median early-career earnings of $47,686. Typical student debt is $12,730.
Dunwoody College Of Technology came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Set in Minneapolis, MN, Dunwoody College Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Dunwoody College Of Technology posts a six-year graduation rate of 86%. Students from in state pay about $27,477 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $53,751. Typical student debt is $18,973.
Northwestern College Minnesota ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Northwestern College Minnesota is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Northwestern College Minnesota posts a six-year graduation rate of 68%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,920. Northwestern College Minnesota graduates report median early-career earnings of $44,857. Typical student debt is $23,505.
Bethel University Minnesota did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. Bethel University Minnesota posts a six-year graduation rate of 71%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $44,226. Median early-career earnings reach $61,465. Typical student debt is $25,639.
Southeast Technical Institute came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Sioux Falls, SD, Southeast Technical Institute is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $7,650. Median early-career earnings reach $48,654. Typical student debt is $18,442.
Bemidji State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Bemidji, MN, Bemidji State University is a public institution. Roughly 46% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,237. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $48,984. The median student debt is $25,819.
Saint Cloud State University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution. Roughly 39% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,245. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,625 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,076 to complete a degree here.
Alexandria Technical And Community College landed the #17 spot in the The Plains States Region this year. Alexandria Technical And Community College is a public school based in Alexandria, MN. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,236. Alexandria Technical And Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $45,368. Typical student debt is $14,054.
Nebraska Methodist College Of Nursing And Allied Health came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Nebraska Methodist College Of Nursing And Allied Health is a private not-for-profit school based in Omaha, NE. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $18,934. Median early-career earnings reach $64,158. The median student debt is $31,121.
Minnesota State University Mankato placed #19 among the best colleges in the The Plains States Region. This public school is set in Mankato, MN. Minnesota State University Mankato posts a six-year graduation rate of 54%. Students from in state pay about $9,572 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,942. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $53,088. Students borrow a median of $25,260 to complete a degree here.
Lake Area Technical Institute ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Watertown, SD. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,718. Early-career graduates earn a median of $43,424. The median student debt is $13,674.
South Dakota State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. South Dakota State University is a public school based in Brookings, SD. South Dakota State University posts a six-year graduation rate of 62%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Early-career graduates earn a median of $51,260. Graduates carry a median of $24,989 in student loans.
Ranken Technical College placed #22 among the best colleges in the The Plains States Region. Ranken Technical College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. Ranken Technical College posts a six-year graduation rate of 31%. In-state tuition and fees run about $18,008. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $49,903. Graduates carry a median of $13,989 in student loans.
Central Community College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Located in Grand Island, NE, Central Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,360, with out-of-state students paying around $4,800. Graduates go on to earn a median of $43,218 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $10,277 in student loans.
Dordt College placed #24 among the best colleges in the The Plains States Region. Located in Sioux Center, IA, Dordt College is a private not-for-profit institution. About 74% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,050. Median early-career earnings reach $54,926. Typical student debt is $21,812.
Concordia University Saint Paul did well this year, earning the #25 position. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Concordia University Saint Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Concordia University Saint Paul graduates 45% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $25,600. Graduates go on to earn a median of $54,835 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $29,026 in student loans.
These colleges also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
