2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 31,703 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,800 and $15,275 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,129 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska at Omaha. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school awarded 318 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
UNOMAHA also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UMSL also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $9,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Fort Hays State University landed the #3 spot on the list. FHSU is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 249 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
FHSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $12,053 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Fort Hays State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Dakota. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 110 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 80 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Iowa State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
With a ranking of #6, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 190 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Missouri Southern State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern State University is $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Missouri Southern State University
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, Mizzou has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Mizzou.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
Minot State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Minot, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,898 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend MSU.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Minot State University
With a ranking of #10, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, Southeast Missouri State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Southeast Missouri State University
Fontbonne University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
Fontbonne University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Fontbonne University is $15,961 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.
The impressive 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Fontbonne University
Pittsburg State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pittsburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Pittsburg, Kansas. It awarded 53 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Pitt State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt State is $14,436 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Pittsburg State University
University of Central Missouri landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCM is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 86 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UCM is $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
With a ranking of #14, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMKC is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 151 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UMKC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.
Wichita State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wichita State University is located in Wichita, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
WSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for WSU is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNI also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
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.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Northern Iowa
Emporia State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Emporia State University is located in Emporia, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, ESU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $14,822 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
Full Emporia State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
College of Saint Mary came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
Saint Mary also took the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary is $14,325 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full College of Saint Mary Liberal Arts General Studies Report
University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kearney, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, UNK has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney is $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Nebraska at Kearney
South Dakota State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 30 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
South Dakota State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $19,252 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at South Dakota State
University of Kansas landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 109 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, KU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend KU.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of South Dakota ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 45 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, USD has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $18,555 for plains states region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of South Dakota
With a ranking of #23, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
K -State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Kansas State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Kansas State University
With a ranking of #24, William Jewell College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Liberty, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
William Jewell also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $27,316 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend William Jewell.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. The 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.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at William Jewell
With a ranking of #25, Mayville State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Mayville, North Dakota, this small public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,378 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Mayville State University.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Mayville State University
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Liberal Arts General Studies 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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