2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 365,980 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across the Plains States region, there were 26,613 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,368 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The liberal studies 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 Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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. 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 Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
Iowa State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $10,843 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa State University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - St Louis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.
UMSL also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $6,838 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMSL.
Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Hays, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 249 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FHSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fort Hays State University is $9,882 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri Southern State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Missouri Southern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $8,416 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Missouri Southern State University.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pittsburg State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Pittsburg, Kansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
Pitt State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt State is $11,973 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 190 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
Iowa also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $15,073 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,495 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNI.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,553 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMKC.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of Missouri - Kansas City
William Jewell College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. William Jewell College is located in Liberty, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
William Jewell also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,796 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William Jewell.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Emporia State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Emporia, Kansas, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
ESU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $11,964 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $15,380 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.
Missouri State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $13,488 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Missouri State University - Springfield
University of Mary came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Mary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bismarck, North Dakota. It awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UMary also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $13,446 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Mary.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Metro State is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Metro State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan State University is $14,812 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Lincoln University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lincoln University is a public institution located in Jefferson City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
LU Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,088 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend LU Missouri.
Grand View University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 22 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Grand View University also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $19,245 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
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Best Liberal Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
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Liberal Arts students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region
Liberal Arts students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
Liberal Arts students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
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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