2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
54
Ranked Colleges
3,291
Degrees Awarded
$12,500
Avg Net Price*
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 Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
General Education is the 41st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,719 and had an average of $23,394 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,291 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,616 and $27,696 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 54 colleges that offer a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank General Education Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #1 spot on the list. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,843 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Duluth General Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $9,766 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Iowa State General Education Report
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,005 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about General Education at Mizzou
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
UMSL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $9,991 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMSL General Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 262 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, SMU MN has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,801 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at SMU MN
Winona State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 32 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Winona State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $11,721 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about General Education at Winona State University
St Olaf College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $11,112 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at St Olaf College
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 21 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus is $15,735 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Education at Gustavus Adolphus
Minot State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSU is a public institution located in Minot, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,920 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU.
Read full report on General Education at Minot State University
Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Southwest Minnesota State University also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $10,578 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University General Education Report
With a ranking of #11, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $11,692 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Minnesota State Mankato General Education Report
With a ranking of #12, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 242 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Fort Hays State University is $9,774 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Education at FHSU
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,554 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Iowa
Hamline University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Hamline has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline University is $16,522 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Hamline
University of North Dakota ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $12,394 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Read full report on General Education at UND
Bemidji State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 19 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $10,178 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
Read more about General Education at Bemidji State University
Kansas State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Kansas State University is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $13,436 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend K -State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Education at Kansas State University
Lindenwood University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 73 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $12,948 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Lindenwood University General Education Report
With a ranking of #19, Northeast Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Norfolk, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Northeast Community College is $6,320 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Northeast Community College General Education Report
Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Concordia College Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 7 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia College Moorhead, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,155 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia College at Moorhead.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about General Education at Concordia College Moorhead
Rockhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Rockhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 10 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Rockhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rockhurst University is $13,440 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Rockhurst University
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 7 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,724 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMKC General Education Report
Saint Louis University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 37 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, SLU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,136 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Louis University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SLU General Education Report
Southwest Baptist University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bolivar, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.
Southwest Baptist University also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $16,346 for plains states region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southwest Baptist University.
Read full report on General Education at Southwest Baptist University
Bellevue University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,383 for Plains States Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bellevue University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Bellevue University
