1
No school ranked more gender-balanced than Hannibal-LaGrange University this year in Plains States. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 51.8, and gender diversity 100.0.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 410 colleges that stand out for their student bodies in Plains States, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on the balance of men and women across the student body. To help you decide, College Factual analyzed 410 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal mix depends on what matters most to you. Drill down by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? We built a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about these gender-balanced colleges below:
No school ranked more gender-balanced than Hannibal-LaGrange University this year in Plains States. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 51.8, and gender diversity 100.0.
North Central University came in at #2 on this year's Most Gender-Balanced Colleges ranking in Plains States. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 62.3, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Clarke University earned the #3 place in Plains States. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 63.9, with a gender-diversity score of 100.0.
A rank of #4 makes Central Christian College of Kansas one of the most gender-balanced colleges in Plains States. Central Christian College of Kansas scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 66.4, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
A rank of #5 makes Independence Community College one of the most gender-balanced colleges in Plains States. On gender diversity, it scores 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 67.2, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the most gender-balanced colleges. On gender diversity, it scores 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 62.2, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln placed #7 among the most gender-balanced colleges in Plains States. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 48.6, and gender diversity 100.0.
South Central College landed the #8 spot in Plains States this year. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 50.0, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Orion Technical College earned the #9 position in Plains States. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 56.0, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Bismarck State College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. On gender diversity, it scores 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 42.7, and gender diversity 100.0.
University of Jamestown came in at #11 in this year's ranking. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 54.5, with a gender-diversity score of 100.0.
University of North Dakota placed #12 among the most gender-balanced colleges in Plains States. On gender diversity, it scores 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 51.9, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Northeast Community College earned the #13 position in Plains States. Northeast Community College scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 40.0, and gender diversity 100.0.
Carleton College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 69.8, and gender diversity 100.0.
University of Minnesota-Duluth landed the #15 spot in Plains States this year. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 46.9, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Iowa Lakes Community College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 48.9, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
University of St Thomas earned the #17 position in Plains States. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 59.4, with a gender-diversity score of 100.0.
William Penn University placed #18 among the most gender-balanced colleges in Plains States. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 63.1, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Kansas Health Science University earned the #19 position in Plains States. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 61.2, with a gender-diversity score of 100.0.
Barton County Community College earned the #20 position in Plains States. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 59.2, and gender diversity 100.0.
Coe College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 59.1, and gender diversity 100.0.
Iowa Western Community College landed the #22 spot in Plains States this year. It scores 100.0 out of 100 for gender diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 62.5, with a gender-diversity score of 100.0.
Benedictine College earned the #23 position in Plains States. The school's gender diversity score is 100.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 41.9, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Metropolitan Community College Area landed the #24 spot in Plains States this year. It scores 99.9 out of 100 for gender diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 67.8, alongside a 99.9 gender-diversity score.
Wartburg College earned the #25 position in Plains States. On gender diversity, it scores 99.9 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 37.7, and gender diversity 99.9.
Not far behind, these colleges also rank among the most gender-balanced this year:
To learn more about the colleges below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Gender Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Indian Hills Community College | 99.7 |
| 52 | Tabor College | 99.7 |
| 53 | Dakota State University | 99.7 |
| 54 | Dordt University | 99.7 |
| 55 | Simpson College | 99.7 |
| 56 | Luther College | 99.6 |
| 57 | Grinnell College | 99.6 |
| 58 | Kansas State University | 99.5 |
| 59 | Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | 99.5 |
| 60 | Cleveland University-Kansas City | 99.5 |
| 61 | Concordia College at Moorhead | 99.5 |
| 62 | California Intercontinental University | 99.5 |
These colleges narrowly missed the top tiers:
| Rank | College | Gender Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Bethel College-North Newton | 99.5 |
| 64 | University of Minnesota-Morris | 99.5 |
| 65 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | 99.5 |
| 66 | Johnson County Community College | 99.5 |
| 67 | University of Saint Mary | 99.5 |
| 68 | City Vision University | 99.5 |
| 69 | Ellsworth Community College | 99.5 |
| 70 | University of Kansas | 99.5 |
| 71 | York University | 99.4 |
| 72 | Des Moines Area Community College | 99.4 |
| 73 | Iowa Central Community College | 99.4 |
| 74 | Iowa State University | 99.4 |
| 75 | Park University | 99.4 |
| 76 | Gustavus Adolphus College | 99.4 |
| 77 | Wichita Technical Institute | 99.4 |
| Rank | College | Gender Diversity Score |
|---|---|---|
| 78 | Maharishi International University | 99.4 |
| 79 | Midland University | 99.3 |
| 80 | Barclay College | 99.3 |
| 81 | Hesston College | 99.3 |
| 82 | Minnesota North College | 99.2 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs the balance of men and women across the student body. The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.