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2021 Best Colleges in the Plains States Region for Students from Canada

70 Colleges
$30,127 Avg Tuition & Fees*
50% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

International 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 Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Our analysis looked at 70 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for Canadian students in the Plains States Region. To come up with this ranking, we look at a number of factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include the school's overall quality as determined by our Best Colleges ranking and the percentage of international students on campus.

See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.

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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. 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 online students or returnings adults.

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Top Colleges in the Plains States Region for Students from Canada

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Washington University in St Louis tops this year’s ranking as the best school for Canadian students in the Plains States Region. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,441 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.0% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at WUSTL come from such countries as China, South Korea, and India.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Washington University in St Louis 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 in this year’s ranking. This large public school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 9,414 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 10.0% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UMN Twin Cities are China, India, and South Korea.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO

A rank of #3 on our list means Saint Louis University is a great place for Canadian students in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,833 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 5.6% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at SLU are China, Saudi Arabia, and India.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Saint Louis University

4

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Iowa State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Canadian students in the Plains States Region. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 6,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 8.1% are international. Students studying at Iowa State come from such countries as China, India, and Malaysia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Iowa State University

5
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian students in the Plains States Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 517 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 10.1% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Carleton are China, South Korea, and India.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on Carleton College

6

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the large public school awarded 4,727 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 8.4% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, Malaysia, and India come to UNL to study.

Read full report on University of Nebraska - Lincoln

7
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

With a ranking of #7, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 5,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 5.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, South Korea, and India come to Iowa to study.

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

Read More…

8

University of North Dakota came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 2,097 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 5.9% are international. Students studying at UND come from such countries as China, Canada, and Japan.

Full University of North Dakota Report

9

University of Kansas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4,600 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

International students make up 6.6% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at KU are China, India, and Saudi Arabia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

10

Kansas State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,967 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

International students make up 5.6% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, Saudi Arabia, and India come to K -State to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Kansas State University Report

11
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA

Drake University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 838 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 2.4% are international. Students from as far away as Malaysia, China, and Vietnam come to Drake to study.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Drake University

12

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 5,114 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 4.2% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Mizzou are China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on University of Missouri - Columbia

13
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN

With a ranking of #13, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 942 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 9.9% are international. Students studying at St. Olaf come from such countries as China, Vietnam, and India.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on St Olaf College

14

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,568 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 4.9% are international. Students from as far away as India, China, and Bangladesh come to North Dakota State University to study.

Read More…

15

University of Northern Iowa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 2,555 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 3.5% are international. Students studying at UNI come from such countries as Saudi Arabia, China, and Mexico.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Report

16

With a ranking of #16, Creighton University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,429 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 2.4% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Creighton are China, Saudi Arabia, and India.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Creighton University

17

The College of Saint Scholastica came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. The College of Saint Scholastica is a small private not-for-profit school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 807 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 1.0% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at St. Scholastica come from such countries as Canada, United Kingdom, and Ethiopia.

Read More…

18

South Dakota State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 1,977 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 5.3% are international. Students studying at South Dakota State come from such countries as India, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal.

Read More…

19

University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region list. This small public school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 304 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 4.5% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UMN Morris are China, India, and South Korea.

Read More…

20

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region list. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,288 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 1.8% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at UMN Duluth come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Read More…

21

Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 886 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 1.7% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Maryville U are Saudi Arabia, Nepal, and China.

Read full report on Maryville University of Saint Louis

22
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO

Lindenwood University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region list. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,105 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 7.1% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Lindenwood University are Venezuela, Panama, and Canada.

Read full report on Lindenwood University

23

With a ranking of #23, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,524 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 7.9% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Minnesota State Mankato are Nepal, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Report

24

Saint Cloud State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 1,859 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 8.8% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as Nepal, India, and China come to St. Cloud State University to study.

Read full report on Saint Cloud State University

25
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, ND

University of Mary ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for Canadian Students in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 602 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 0.1% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UMary are Canada, United Kingdom, and Nepal.

Read More…

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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