College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

174 Ranked Colleges
31,555 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 322,592 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $70,916 and had an average of $25,426 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 31,555 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,790 and $29,947 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 174 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 414 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $12,911 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Nursing Report

2
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 174 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 254 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

UMSL excels when it comes to nursing quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $11,291 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Missouri - St Louis

3
SCC crest
St Charles Community College
Cottleville, Missouri

Out of the 174 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Charles Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Cottleville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 80 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,001 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SCC.

Read full report on Nursing at St Charles Community College

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Metropolitan Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Metropolitan Community College is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 58 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,013 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MCC.

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 Metropolitan Community College Nursing Report

5
Dodge City Community College crest
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City, Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dodge City Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Dodge City Community College is a public institution located in Dodge City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Dodge City Community College is $7,420 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Nursing at Dodge City Community College

6

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 285 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,715 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 more about Nursing at University of Missouri - Columbia

7
Crowder College crest
Crowder College
Neosho, Missouri

With a ranking of #7, Crowder College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Neosho, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Crowder College is $5,753 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Crowder College Nursing Report

8
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, Winona State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 275 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $15,289 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State Nursing Report

9

With a ranking of #9, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 81 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College is $9,352 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Nursing at Western Iowa Tech Community College

10

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMKC is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 351 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $15,768 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 University of Missouri - Kansas City Nursing Report

11
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 168 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $15,818 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at University of North Dakota

12

State Fair Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. State Fair Community College is a small public school situated in Sedalia, Missouri. It awarded 52 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,379 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend State Fair Community College.

Read full report on Nursing at State Fair Community College

13
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 204 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Louis Community College is $9,051 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Louis Community College Nursing Report

14
Garden City Community College crest
Garden City Community College
Garden City, Kansas

Garden City Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Garden City Community College is located in Garden City, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Garden City Community College is $6,537 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Garden City Community College Nursing Report

15

Neosho County Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Neosho County Community College is located in Chanute, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Neosho County Community College is $9,139 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Nursing at Neosho County Community College

16
Oglala Lakota College crest
Oglala Lakota College
Kyle, South Dakota

Oglala Lakota College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Kyle, South Dakota, and it awarded 14 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,845 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oglala Lakota College.

Full Oglala Lakota College Nursing Report

17

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 284 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $14,995 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Nursing at Minnesota State University - Mankato

18
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 141 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UMary also did well on our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UMary is $16,854 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 UMary Nursing Report

19
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #19, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 297 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k list, KU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $18,586 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Nursing at KU

20
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 288 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $18,026 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Nursing at University of Iowa

21
Hutchinson Community College crest
Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson, Kansas

With a ranking of #21, Hutchinson Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Hutchinson, Kansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hutchinson Community College is $8,682 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Hutchinson Community College Nursing Report

22
Southeastern Community College crest
Southeastern Community College
West Burlington, Iowa

Southeastern Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in West Burlington, Iowa, this small public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,511 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southeastern Community College.

Read full report on Nursing at Southeastern Community College

23
Central Community College crest
Central Community College
Grand Island, Nebraska

With a ranking of #23, Central Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Central Community College is a medium-sized school located in Grand Island, Nebraska that handed out 55 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Community College is $9,077 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Nursing at Central Community College

24
Mount Marty crest
Mount Marty University
Yankton, South Dakota

With a ranking of #24, Mount Marty University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mount Marty University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Yankton, South Dakota. It awarded 76 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount Marty, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,487 for plains states region nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mount Marty University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Mount Marty

25

Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City is $8,207 for Plains States Region Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Nursing at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

Rest of the Best 27 in Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Northland Community and Technical College crest
Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Switch to a Similar Major

Health Sciences & Services
Best Value Colleges for Health Sciences & Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Communication Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Communication Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Health & Medical Administrative Services
Best Value Colleges for Health & Medical Administrative Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Allied Health Professions
Best Value Colleges for Allied Health Professions (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Health/Medical Prep Programs
Best Value Colleges for Health/Medical Prep Programs (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Medical Science
Best Value Colleges for Medical Science (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Optometry
Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Public Health
Best Value Colleges for Public Health (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Medical Illustration & Informatics
Best Value Colleges for Medical Illustration & Informatics (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Bioethics/Medical Ethics
Best Value Colleges for Bioethics/Medical Ethics (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services
Best Value Colleges for Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Other Health Professions
Best Value Colleges for Other Health Professions (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Chiropractic
Best Value Colleges for Chiropractic (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Dentistry
Best Value Colleges for Dentistry (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Dental Support Services
Best Value Colleges for Dental Support Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services
Best Value Colleges for Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Best Value Colleges for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Medicine
Best Value Colleges for Medicine (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Mental & Social Health Services
Best Value Colleges for Mental & Social Health Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions
Best Value Colleges for Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services
Best Value Colleges for Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Alternative Medicine & Systems
Best Value Colleges for Alternative Medicine & Systems (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants
Best Value Colleges for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

Switch to a More Focused Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options