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

42 Ranked Colleges
2,527 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 40,596 people earned their degree in public health, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public health graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,158 and had an average of $27,396 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,527 public health graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,279 and $29,386 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in public health. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public health programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public health program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

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

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 136 degrees to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $8,149 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Health at WUSTL

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 199 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,911 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Public Health Report

3

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 158 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,715 for Plains States Region Public Health 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Public Health Report

4
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,026 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Iowa.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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.

Full University of Iowa Public Health Report

5
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

Truman State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $12,654 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Health at Truman State

6

Missouri Southern State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Joplin, Missouri, this small public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern State University is $10,215 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Missouri Southern Public Health Report

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $13,364 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 UMN Duluth Public Health Report

8
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 34 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $15,818 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Public Health Report

9

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $15,950 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri State Public Health Report

10
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

St Catherine University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Kate’s, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Kate’s is $15,942 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Public Health at St Catherine University

11
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 35 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k list, KU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,586 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend KU.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Public Health at University of Kansas

12
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Winona State University is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,289 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Winona State University.

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%.

Full Winona State Public Health Report

13

Ozarks Technical Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. OTC is a fairly large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 18 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,283 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend OTC.

Read more about Public Health at Ozarks Technical Community College

14

With a ranking of #14, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $14,995 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Public Health Report

15

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,071 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Public Health at North Dakota State University

16
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $13,140 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at St. Cloud State University

17
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,287 for plains states region public health 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Public Health Report

18

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,574 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at University of Nebraska at Omaha

19
Three Rivers College crest
Three Rivers College
Poplar Bluff, Missouri

With a ranking of #19, Three Rivers College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Poplar Bluff, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Three Rivers College is $9,750 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Three Rivers College Public Health Report

20
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Saint Louis Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 5 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis Community College is $9,051 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Louis Community College Public Health Report

20

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

SMU MN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,683 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k 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 more about Public Health at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

22
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 5 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $14,520 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Public Health at Bemidji State University

23
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vermillion, South Dakota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

USD also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,548 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of South Dakota.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at USD

24
Concordia University, Saint Paul crest
Concordia University, Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Concordia University, Saint Paul ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 8 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Saint Paul is $14,980 for plains states region public health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Saint Paul Public Health Report

25
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Charles, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $15,749 for Plains States Region Public Health students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at Lindenwood University

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Notes and References

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