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2024 Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region

51 Colleges in the Plains States Region
3,291 Education Degrees Awarded
$44,616 Avg Early-Career Salary
General Education is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #41 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 51 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,291 degrees in general education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Education School

Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of general education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your General Education Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Education
Bachelor's Degrees in Education
Master's Degrees in Education
Doctor's Degrees in Education

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 the Best General Education Schools in the Plains States Region. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for General Education in the Plains States Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the education degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Education

1

It is hard to beat Iowa State University if you wish to pursue a degree in general education. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were about 19 general education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, education degree recipients usually earn around $45,872 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general education from Iowa State University

1
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,234 Education Degrees Awarded
$60,979 Median Starting Salary

Walden University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general education. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Walden University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population.

There were approximately 1234 general education students who graduated with this degree at Walden University in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at Walden University get $16,364 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from Walden University

2
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Education Degrees Awarded
$60,180 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Hamline University if you wish to pursue a degree in general education. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Hamline is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #365 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Hamline is a great university overall.

There were roughly 56 general education students who graduated with this degree at Hamline in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at Hamline University get $15,564 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general education from Hamline University

3
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In MN

St Olaf College is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in general education. St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #190 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were approximately 4 general education students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from St Olaf College

4
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MO
38 Education Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat University of Missouri - Columbia if you wish to pursue a degree in general education. Mizzou is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were about 38 general education students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Missouri - Columbia

5
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Education Degrees Awarded
$51,320 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Sioux Falls, Augustana Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #363 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Augustana Sioux Falls is a great university overall.

There were approximately 87 general education students who graduated with this degree at Augustana Sioux Falls in the most recent data year. Those general education students who get their degree from Augustana University receive $6,704 more than the average education graduate.

More information about a degree in general education from Augustana University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MN
4.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 29th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 21 general education students who graduated with this degree at Gustavus Adolphus in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from Gustavus Adolphus College

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In MN
32 Education Degrees Awarded

Winona State is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Winona. This university ranks 17th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 32 general education students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Winona State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Education Degrees Awarded
21.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 262 general education students who graduated with this degree at SMU MN in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,750 above the average income of general education graduates.

More information about a degree in general education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In MN
57.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead, Concordia College Moorhead is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 20th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 7 general education students who graduated with this degree at Concordia College Moorhead in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Concordia College at Moorhead


 

Best General Education Colleges by State

Explore the best general education schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 1,991
Missouri 283 475
Kansas 266 373
Iowa 264 225
Nebraska 238 59
North Dakota 210 24
South Dakota 204 88

View All Rankings >

General Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Education Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Education 3,291

View All Education Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 10,661
Educational Administration 4,912
Teacher Education Subject Specific 4,892
Special Education 2,681
Curriculum & Instruction 2,606
Student Counseling 1,806
Instructional Media Design 650
Other Education 585
Teaching English or French 577
Educational Assessment 174

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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