2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
100
Ranked Colleges
31,199
Degrees Awarded
$7,500
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 556,813 liberal arts / sciences and humanities students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 31,199 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,497 and $16,369 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 100 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Metropolitan Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Metropolitan Community College is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 568 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
MCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan Community College is $3,325 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Metropolitan Community College
Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Charles Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Cottleville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 531 students in 2020-2021.
SCC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCC is $2,107 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SCC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Garden City Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Garden City Community College is a public institution located in Garden City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 227 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Garden City Community College is $3,934 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Garden City Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dakota College at Bottineau. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Bottineau, North Dakota, and it awarded 78 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU-Bottineau not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend MSU-Bottineau is $8,324 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full MSU-Bottineau Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,357 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MCC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MCC is $6,125 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full MCC Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $13,554 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Iowa
Bismarck State College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Bismarck State College is a small school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 352 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
BSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend BSC is $6,265 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Bismarck State College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
State Fair Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. State Fair Community College is a small school located in Sedalia, Missouri that handed out 429 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend State Fair Community College is $6,179 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at State Fair Community College
Des Moines Area Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ankeny, Iowa, this large public school handed out 1,170 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
DMACC also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Des Moines Area Community College is $8,177 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Des Moines Area Community College
Haskell Indian Nations University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Haskell Indian Nations University is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Haskell is $2,739 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Haskell
University of North Dakota ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $12,394 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full UND Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #12, Independence Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Independence, Kansas, this small public school awarded 83 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Independence Community College is $6,146 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Independence Community College
With a ranking of #13, Marshalltown Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marshalltown Community College is a public institution located in Marshalltown, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 144 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Marshalltown Community College is $5,805 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Marshalltown Community College
Iowa Central Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and it awarded 426 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Central Community College is $8,872 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Iowa Central Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
University of Northern Iowa landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 68 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNI has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,513 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UNI
With a ranking of #16, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,071 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Western Iowa Tech Community College
University of Kansas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $15,666 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Kansas
Fort Hays State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 356 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FHSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,774 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FHSU.
Full Fort Hays State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Barton County Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Barton Community College is located in Great Bend, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 382 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $7,303 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Barton Community College.
Full Barton Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Labette Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Parsons, Kansas, this small public school awarded 84 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,821 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Labette Community College.
Full Labette Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Southeastern Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southeastern Community College is a small public school situated in West Burlington, Iowa. It awarded 248 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,752 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southeastern Community College.
Full Southeastern Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Johnson County Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Overland Park, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 1,257 students in 2020-2021.
JCCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Johnson County Community College is $11,535 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Johnson County Community College
Saint Louis Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Louis Community College is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 1,372 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis Community College is $6,179 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Saint Louis Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #24, Ozarks Technical Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 629 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for OTC is $6,220 for plains states region liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ozarks Technical Community College
Iowa Western Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa Western Community College is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 493 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
Iowa Western Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Western Community College is $9,587 for Plains States Region Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Iowa Western Community College
