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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region

60 Ranked Colleges
1,228 Degrees Awarded
$26,800 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 354,866 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, liberal arts is the 2nd most popular major in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 25,553 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,228 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,724 and $22,887 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their liberal arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Plains States Region

1
Harris - Stowe State University crest
Harris - Stowe State University
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harris - Stowe State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Harris - Stowe State University is a small public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Harris - Stowe State University

2
William Jewell crest
William Jewell College
Liberty, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Jewell College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Liberty, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at William Jewell

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri Southern State University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 89 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri Southern Liberal Arts Report

4

Out of the 60 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #4 spot on the list. FHSU is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 174 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fort Hays State University Liberal Arts Report

5
Simpson College crest
Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Simpson College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Simpson College is located in Indianola, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Simpson College Liberal Arts Report

6

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 120 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UMKC

7
LU Missouri crest
Lincoln University
Jefferson City, Missouri

Lincoln University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Lincoln University is a small public school situated in Jefferson City, Missouri. It awarded 20 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at LU Missouri

8

Maharishi International University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Maharishi International University is a small school located in Fairfield, Iowa that handed out 29 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at MIU

9

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UMSL

10

Pittsburg State University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburg, Kansas, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Pitt State

11
Grand View University crest
Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Liberal Arts at Grand View University

12
Friends University crest
Friends University
Wichita, Kansas

Friends University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Friends University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Friends University

13
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 183 students in 2021-2022.

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 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%.

Full Iowa Liberal Arts Report

14

University of Northern Iowa came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Northern Iowa

15

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Missouri State University - Springfield

16

With a ranking of #16, Central Christian College of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. McPherson, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Central Christian College of Kansas Liberal Arts Report

17
Doane Crete crest
Doane University
Crete, Nebraska

Doane University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Crete, Nebraska, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Doane Crete Liberal Arts Report

18
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 85 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full KU Liberal Arts Report

19
Dordt crest
Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Dordt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Center, Iowa. It awarded 4 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 full report on Liberal Arts at Dordt

20
Mount Mercy crest
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Mount Mercy University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mount Mercy University Liberal Arts Report

21
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Augustana University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Augustana University is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Full Augustana University Liberal Arts Report

22

University of Dubuque did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. UD is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 6 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Dubuque

23
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #23, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Liberal Arts at St. Olaf

24

Iowa State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 70 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Iowa State University

25
BLC crest
Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, Minnesota

Bethany Lutheran College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full BLC Liberal Arts Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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