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2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region

282 Colleges
$58,805 Avg Salary*
56% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Top Plains States Region Colleges ranking.

After analyzing 282 schools in the Plains States Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including post graduate earnings, freshman retention, and graduation rate. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.

Get more details on our ranking methodology.

Custom Rankings

Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.

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You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!

Top Colleges in the Plains States Region

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

1

Washington University in St Louis tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the Plains States Region for overall quality. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5,763 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 89%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from WUSTL is $82,732 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Washington University in St Louis

2

A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list means A T Still University of Health Sciences is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 1,362 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%

Read full report on A T Still University of Health Sciences

3
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine crest
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Rochester, Minnesota

Out of the 282 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Rochester, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 459 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 3 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Mayo Clinic School of Medicine make an average of $68,712 per year during the early years of their career.

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4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. MBTS is located in Kansas City, Missouri and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 662 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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% During the early years of their career, graduates from MBTS make an average of $41,664 a year.

Full Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Report

5

Out of the 282 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the large public school handed out 14,640 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $61,201 during the early years of their career..

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6

Palmer College of Chiropractic - Davenport ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 664 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic - Davenport make an average of $41,367 per year during the early years of their career.

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7

University of Nebraska Medical Center did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. UNMC is a small public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 1,202 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 2 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. During the early years of their career, graduates from UNMC make an average of $73,342 a year.

Read full report on University of Nebraska Medical Center

8

Iowa State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8,681 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State go into careers with an average salary of $57,351 during the early years of their career.

Full Iowa State University Report

9
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #9, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. This large public school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 9,628 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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% During the early years of their career, graduates from Iowa make an average of $58,274 a year.

Read More…

10
Concordia Seminary crest
Concordia Seminary
Saint Louis, Missouri

Concordia Seminary came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Concordia Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 125 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Concordia Seminary Report

11
Luther Seminary crest
Luther Seminary
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Luther Seminary landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 128 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Luther Seminary

12
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12.Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 517 students in 2020-2021.

The 4-year grad rate at the school is 88%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Carleton make an average of $67,132 a year.

Full Carleton College Report

13

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking.Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,405 students in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology go into careers with an average salary of $80,289 during the early years of their career.

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14
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Grinnell is located in Grinnell, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 496 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell is $59,488 during the early years of their career.

Full Grinnell College Report

15
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 2,878 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. During the early years of their career, graduates from Creighton make an average of $66,524 a year.

Full Creighton University Report

16
Ranken Technical College crest
Ranken Technical College
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #16, Ranken Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 701 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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% During the early years of their career, graduates from Ranken Technical College make an average of $54,941 a year.

Read More…

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,036 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $56,986 during the early years of their career..

Read full report on University of Missouri - Columbia

18

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the large public school handed out 6,179 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UNL make an average of $52,360 per year during the early years of their career.

Read More…

19
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Kansas is a large public school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 7,358 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from KU go into careers with an average salary of $56,386 during the early years of their career.

Full University of Kansas Report

20

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list.Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,066 students in 2020-2021.

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%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UST MN go into careers with an average salary of $67,398 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on University of St Thomas Minnesota

21
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Capella University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14,837 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Capella University go into careers with an average salary of $59,307 during the early years of their career.

Full Capella University Report

22
Hennepin Technical College crest
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Hennepin Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the small public school awarded 1,610 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

During the early years of their career, graduates from Hennepin Technical College make an average of $43,390 a year.

Full Hennepin Technical College Report

23

Northwestern Health Sciences University landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, and it awarded 264 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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% During the early years of their career, graduates from NWHSU make an average of $35,057 a year.

Read full report on Northwestern Health Sciences University

24
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 942 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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% During the early years of their career, graduates from St. Olaf make an average of $60,242 a year.

Read full report on St Olaf College

25

University of Northern Iowa came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3,013 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UNI make an average of $49,563 per year during the early years of their career.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 15% Best Colleges in the Plains States Region

Not only did these schools make the top 43 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Ozark Christian College Crest
Ozark Christian College
Joplin, Missouri
29
Macalester Crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
30
UND Crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
31
Webster Crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri
32
33
Drake Crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

34
K -State Crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

35
MLC Crest
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, Minnesota
36
Logan University Crest
Logan University
Chesterfield, Missouri
37
Bellevue University Crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska
38
39
SLU Crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri
40
Allen College Crest
Allen College
Waterloo, Iowa
41
42
43
South Dakota State Crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

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Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
44South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, SD
45Mount Marty UniversityYankton, SD
46The College of Saint ScholasticaDuluth, MN
47Lake Area Technical InstituteWatertown, SD
48Maharishi International UniversityFairfield, IA
49Nebraska College of Technical AgricultureCurtis, NE
50Clarkson CollegeOmaha, NE
51University of MaryBismarck, ND
52Park UniversityParkville, MO
53University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
54Valley City State UniversityValley City, ND
55Rasmussen University - MinnesotaSt. Cloud, MN
56College of Saint BenedictSaint Joseph, MN
57Normandale Community CollegeBloomington, MN

More Plains States Rankings

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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