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2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

48 Ranked Colleges
1,215 Degrees Awarded
$10,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Economics is the 29th most popular major in the country with 28,837 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,215 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general 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 general economics program at the school. 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 General Economics 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.

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 General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Economics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $1,556 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Economics at Washington University in St Louis

2

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools 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 #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 154 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $3,941 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 General Economics at University of Minnesota - Morris

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,843 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read more about General Economics at UMN Duluth

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 50 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also made our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $9,766 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 General Economics at Iowa State University

6
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 81 degrees to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St Olaf College is $11,112 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at St Olaf College

7

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,005 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at University of Missouri - Columbia

8
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

Truman State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,208 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Truman State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on General Economics at Truman State

9
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 133 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $13,554 for Plains States Region General Economics 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 low undergrad 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 University of Iowa General Economics Report

10
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 5 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,513 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about General Economics at UNI

11
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,991 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at UMSL

12
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UND has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,394 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Dakota.

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%.

Read full report on General Economics at UND

13
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #13, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.

KU also made our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $15,666 for plains states region general economics 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Economics at KU

14

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNL has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $11,672 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNL General Economics Report

15

With a ranking of #15, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,835 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Dakota State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Full North Dakota State University General Economics Report

16
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a small school located in Saint Peter, Minnesota that handed out 19 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $15,735 for Plains States Region General Economics 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 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%.

Full Gustavus Adolphus College General Economics Report

17
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 14 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $10,359 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southeast Missouri State University General Economics Report

18
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,348 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Cloud State University General Economics Report

19

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s general economics students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $10,578 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Nebraska at Omaha

20

Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $12,675 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

21
SJU crest
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Collegeville, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general economics degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

SJU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SJU is $15,314 for plains states region general economics 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%.

Read more about General Economics at SJU

22
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. K -State is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,436 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend K -State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at Kansas State University

23
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winona State is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,721 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winona State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Winona State University

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMKC is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $12,724 for Plains States Region General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at UMKC

25

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Economics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 13 ’s general economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $11,692 for plains states region general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Minnesota State University - Mankato General Economics Report

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