2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Applied Economics (Income $0-$30k) 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 “Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Applied Economics is the 497th most popular major in the country with 652 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Plains States region, there were 117 applied economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 98 applied economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 3 colleges that offer a degree in applied economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent applied economics 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 applied economics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Applied Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

#1 in overall quality

$7,266 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #1 spot in our “Best Applied Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree applied economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Twin Cities Applied Economics Report

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$10,757 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Applied Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Applied Economics at University of Northern Iowa

#3

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

#3 in overall quality

$15,102 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Applied Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Catherine University landed the #3 spot on the list. St Catherine University is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s applied economics degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Kate’s also made our “Best Applied Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,102 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Kate’s.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Kate’s Applied Economics Report

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Applied Economics (Income $0-$30k)

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.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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