2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,296 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,903 and $30,143 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 334 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
UMSL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bellevue University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bellevue, Nebraska. It awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bellevue University, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $15,616 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Missouri - Columbia
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kansas State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend K -State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Harris - Stowe State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Harris - Stowe State University is a small school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 18 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Harris - Stowe State University is $10,551 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
Read more about General Education at Harris - Stowe State University
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bethany Lutheran College is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, BLC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bethany Lutheran College is $16,368 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Midland University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Midland University is a small school located in Fremont, Nebraska that handed out 44 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Midland U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Midland U is $21,128 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized school located in Marshall, Minnesota that handed out 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southwest Minnesota State University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
Read more about General Education at Southwest Minnesota State University
Hamline University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
Hamline did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,866 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend Hamline University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
Gustavus Adolphus also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $19,093 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Buena Vista University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. BVU is a small school located in Storm Lake, Iowa that handed out 9 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
BVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BVU is $17,544 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 General Education at Buena Vista University
Lindenwood University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized school located in Saint Charles, Missouri that handed out 13 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $17,491 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Lindenwood University
Concordia College at Moorhead ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
Concordia College Moorhead also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia College at Moorhead is $23,029 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Concordia College Moorhead
Loras College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, Loras has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loras is $20,676 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
North Central University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, North Central University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central University is $21,142 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 North Central University
Peru State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Peru, Nebraska, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Peru State is $14,058 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
Webster University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
Webster also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Webster is $22,768 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
SLU also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $28,188 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 General Education at Saint Louis University
Avila University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Avila is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Avila did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Avila is $17,048 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
Rockhurst University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Rockhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rockhurst University is $21,116 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, Missouri Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
MBU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MBU is $20,444 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
Tabor College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Hillsboro, Kansas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Tabor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tabor College is $24,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
With a ranking of #23, Dordt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Sioux Center, Iowa, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, Dordt has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $25,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
William Woods University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. William Woods University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fulton, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, William Woods has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William Woods is $24,593 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Benedictine College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Atchison, Kansas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.
Benedictine College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Benedictine College is $23,011 for plains states region bachelor’s degree education students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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