by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking. A school that typically has a high sticker price may actually be very affordable, depending on how much need-based financial aid you receive.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 254 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones have the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $75-$110k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. 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 include a school'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.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
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:
Metropolitan Community College tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $75-$110k) school in the Plains States Region for overall quality. 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. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $7,790.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Charles Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. SCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Cottleville, Missouri.
St Charles Community College has the honor of being ranked #16 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,887.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list means Garden City Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Garden City Community College is a small public school situated in Garden City, Kansas.
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 $75-$110k per year is $7,324.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ranken Technical College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) 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. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $15,665.
Out of the 254 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City has the honor of being ranked #18 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $8,086.
Full Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City Value Report
With a ranking of #6, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Missouri University of Science and Technology is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Missouri. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $15,041.
Learn More About Value at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Iowa State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Ames, Iowa, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa State University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $16,964.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. This large public school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $18,140.
Hennepin Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. This small public school is located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Not only is Hennepin Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Minnesota for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,573.
With a ranking of #10, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Northern Iowa is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $15,979.
Truman State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Truman State is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri.
Truman State University has the honor of being ranked #13 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $12,530.
With a ranking of #12, St Cloud Technical and Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. St Cloud Technical and Community College is a small public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, St Cloud Technical and Community College is ranked #32 for quality in the state of Minnesota. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,715.
Learn More About Value at St Cloud Technical and Community College
Des Moines Area Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. DMACC is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa.
Not only is Des Moines Area Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #11 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,017.
Barton County Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Barton Community College is a public institution located in Great Bend, Kansas.
Not only is Barton County Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #12 in Kansas for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $10,430.
Bismarck State College landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking. Bismarck, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Bismarck State College has the honor of being ranked #5 in North Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,597.
With a ranking of #16, Valley City State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. Valley City State University is a small public school located in Valley City, North Dakota.
Not only is Valley City State University a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in North Dakota for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $14,006.
With a ranking of #17, Dakota County Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. DCTC is a small public school situated in Rosemount, Minnesota.
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 $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,050.
Bellevue University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Not only is Bellevue University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Nebraska for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $16,662.
Century College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Century College has the honor of being ranked #25 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $13,468.
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Nebraska - Lincoln is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Nebraska. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $19,044.
State Fair Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. State Fair Community College is located in Sedalia, Missouri and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, State Fair Community College is ranked #36 for quality in the state of Missouri. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,996.
With a ranking of #22, Cowley County Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. Cowley College is a small public school situated in Arkansas City, Kansas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Cowley County Community College is ranked #20 for quality in the state of Kansas. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,377.
University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. This small public school is located in Crookston, Minnesota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Minnesota - Crookston is ranked #26 for quality in the state of Minnesota. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,989.
Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Sioux City, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Western Iowa Tech Community College is ranked #29 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $75-$110k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,882.
Read full value report on Western Iowa Tech Community College
With a ranking of #25, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is a large public school located in Iowa City, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Iowa is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $75-$110k per year is $20,690.
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 $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge, IA | Value Report |
| 41 | Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa, IA | Value Report |
| 42 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND | Value Report |
| 43 | Mitchell Technical College | Mitchell, SD | Value Report |
| 44 | North Dakota State University - Main Campus | Fargo, ND | Value Report |
| 45 | Capella University | Minneapolis, MN | Value Report |
| 46 | Ozarks Technical Community College | Springfield, MO | Value Report |
| 46 | Ozark Christian College | Joplin, MO | Value Report |
| 48 | Central Community College | Grand Island, NE | Value Report |
| 49 | Clarkson College | Omaha, NE | Value Report |
| 50 | University of Missouri - St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | Value Report |
| 51 | University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth, MN | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.