by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking is part of that endeavor. The amount of financial aid you could receive at various schools, including some with high sticker prices, may surprise you.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
After analyzing 257 schools in the Plains States Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
The first step of determing the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $48-$75k a year. The net price is the sum of tuition, fees, and room and board minus any financial aid awarded to the student. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Washington University in St Louis the best value (income $48-$75k) school in the Plains States Region . WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Washington University in St Louis has the honor of being ranked #1 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,248.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list means University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is University of Minnesota - Twin Cities a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Minnesota for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,603.
Learn More About Value at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ranken Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Ranken Technical College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Ranken Technical College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Missouri. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $10,947.
The quality degree programs at Iowa State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State University has the honor of being ranked #1 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,717.
Out of the 257 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. MCC is located in Omaha, Nebraska and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Metropolitan Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in Nebraska for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,298.
Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Missouri University of Science and Technology has the honor of being ranked #3 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $12,597.
Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Value Report
Hennepin Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Hennepin Technical College is ranked #5 for quality in the state of Minnesota. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,098.
Garden City Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Garden City, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Garden City Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Kansas for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,858.
University of Minnesota - Crookston came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Crookston is located in Crookston, Minnesota and has a small student population. It is a public school.
University of Minnesota - Crookston has the honor of being ranked #26 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,705.
Read full value report on University of Minnesota - Crookston
With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the school is a fairly large public institution.
University of Missouri - St Louis has the honor of being ranked #11 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,724.
St Charles Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. SCC is a public institution located in Cottleville, Missouri.
Not only is St Charles Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #16 in Missouri for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,935.
With a ranking of #12, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. This small public school is located in Morris, Minnesota.
University of Minnesota - Morris has the honor of being ranked #44 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,859.
St Cloud Technical and Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. St Cloud Technical and Community College is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.
Not only is St Cloud Technical and Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #32 in Minnesota for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,175.
Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large public school is located in Kansas City, Missouri.
Not only is Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City a great value, but it is also ranked #18 in Missouri for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,855.
Learn More About Value at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school located in Columbia, Missouri.
Not only is University of Missouri - Columbia a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Missouri for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $14,056.
Carleton College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Carleton College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $15,054.
Dakota County Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. DCTC is located in Rosemount, Minnesota and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Dakota County Technical College has the honor of being ranked #15 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,082.
With a ranking of #18, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. This large public school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Not only is University of Nebraska - Lincoln a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Nebraska for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $15,526.
Capella University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the school is a large private for-profit institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Capella University is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Minnesota. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,255.
Valley City State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Located in Valley City, North Dakota, the school is a small public institution.
Valley City State University has the honor of being ranked #4 in North Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,402.
St Olaf College landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Northfield, Minnesota.
St Olaf College has the honor of being ranked #6 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,712.
University of Northern Iowa ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is University of Northern Iowa a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $14,236.
Century College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Century College is a medium-sized public school located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Not only is Century College a great value, but it is also ranked #25 in Minnesota for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $10,429.
With a ranking of #24, Bismarck State College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region list. Bismarck State College is a small public school located in Bismarck, North Dakota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Bismarck State College is ranked #5 for quality in the state of North Dakota. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,397.
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school located in Ankeny, Iowa.
Des Moines Area Community College has the honor of being ranked #11 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,962.
Not only did these schools make the top 39 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City, IA | Value Report |
| 40 | Anoka Technical College | Anoka, MN | Value Report |
| 42 | Cowley County Community College | Arkansas City, KS | Value Report |
| 43 | Bellevue University | Bellevue, NE | Value Report |
| 44 | Lake Area Technical Institute | Watertown, SD | Value Report |
| 45 | Barton County Community College | Great Bend, KS | Value Report |
| 46 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND | Value Report |
| 47 | Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS | Value Report |
| 48 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND | Value Report |
| 49 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN | Value Report |
| 50 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS | Value Report |
| 51 | Ridgewater College | Willmar, MN | Value Report |
| 52 | Coffeyville Community College | Coffeyville, KS | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.