by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 91 colleges that offered a degree in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular general education programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region education students.
Out of the 91 schools in the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #1 spot on the list. Walden University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,234 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. SMU MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 262 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota General Education Report
Out of the 91 schools in the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 242 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Morningside College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. Capella University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 133 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. Marshall, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University General Education Report
Augustana University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Sioux Falls, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Missouri - St Louis
Southwest Baptist University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. 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.
Read more about General Education at Southwest Baptist University
Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized school located in Saint Charles, Missouri that handed out 73 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Baker University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. Baker University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baldwin City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Hamline University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Hamline University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Midland University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Fremont, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
Webster University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Webster is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 43 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 ranking of #15, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Washington University in St Louis General Education Report
Saint Louis University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Saint Louis University
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Fayette, Missouri, and it awarded 36 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies General Education Report
Highland Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Highland, Kansas, and it awarded 33 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Bethel University Minnesota landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Education at Bethel University Minnesota
With a ranking of #20, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 27 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Winona State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 32 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Winona State University
Minot State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Minot, North Dakota, and it awarded 23 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on General Education at Minot State University
With a ranking of #23, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 89%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Missouri - Columbia
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Bemidji State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Education Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Bemidji, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
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 full report on General Education at Bemidji State University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
