2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the Plains States Region
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Plains States Region Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 164 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in the Plains States Region. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. Because of this, it is possible for one college to rank better than another, even if the latter college has a lower average cost.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
To calculate the average cost amount, we sum up the total expenses to attend a school - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other living expenses. This estimate is meant to give you a better picture of how much money you'll have to pay each year, either through self-pay, loans, or external scholarships.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors, such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those seeking diversity and overall quality.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in the Plains States Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Truman State University tops this year’s ranking as the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in the Plains States Region. Truman State is a medium-sized public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 1,216 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Truman State graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,140. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Truman State be around $115,074. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Truman State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Truman State University Report
Request Information
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Martin Luther College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in the Plains States Region . New Ulm, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 190 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at MLC about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,230 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the MLC is $120,901. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. MLC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list.
Request Information
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Minnesota - Rochester helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in the Plains States Region . Located in Rochester, Minnesota, the small public school handed out 84 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UMN Rochester graduates in less than 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,504 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UMN Rochester be around $109,462. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on University of Minnesota - Rochester
Request Information
Out of the 164 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #4 spot on the list. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 385 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at UMN Morris graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $26,200. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UMN Morris is $111,088. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Read full report on University of Minnesota - Morris
Request Information
Out of the 164 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,588 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At North Dakota State University, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $26,551 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University is $120,276. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Dakota State University also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking.
Read full report on North Dakota State University - Main Campus
Request Information
University of Northern Iowa came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the fairly large public school handed out 2,500 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UNI, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $29,789 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNI is $132,263. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. UNI excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list.
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, the fairly large public school awarded 2,026 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at South Dakota State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $25,217. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State is $110,955. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Request Information
Winona State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,822 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Winona State is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,071 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Winona State is $121,278. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Winona State University
Request Information
Iowa State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. This large public school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 7,380 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Iowa State to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $34,287. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State is $151,549. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, Iowa State also did well on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Iowa State University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #10, College of the Ozarks did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Point Lookout, Missouri, and it awarded 362 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Hard Work U to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $30,764 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Hard Work U be around $129,516. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Read full report on College of the Ozarks
Request Information
University of North Dakota landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the fairly large public school awarded 2,231 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At UND, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $29,000 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UND is about $133,110. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low 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%.
Read full report on University of North Dakota
Request Information
University of South Dakota landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized public school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 1,352 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at U of South Dakota graduates in less than 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $26,162 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of South Dakota is about $114,066. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Dakota Report
Request Information
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,162 students in 2018-2019.
At UMN Duluth, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $29,285 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UMN Duluth be around $130,904. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Minnesota - Duluth Report
Request Information
University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Kearney, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 850 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at UNK graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $28,621. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNK is $130,226. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Request Information
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, the small public school handed out 465 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at SD Mines graduates in less than 4.8 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $29,722 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the SD Mines is $143,557. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Report
Request Information
Clarkson College landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 142 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Clarkson College, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,740 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Clarkson College is $101,929. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The 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 full report on Clarkson College
Request Information
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 180 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at Nebraska Methodist College to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $31,743 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska Methodist College is $142,844. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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%.
Read full report on Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Request Information
University of Mary ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 532 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UMary is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $30,500 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UMary is $135,420. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Request Information
University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 4,859 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at UNL graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $38,133. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNL be around $170,836. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. UNL also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Report
Request Information
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 8,988 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at UMN Twin Cities to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $43,076. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UMN Twin Cities is about $181,350. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking.
Read full report on University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Request Information
With a ranking of #21, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,036 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Bemidji State University to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $21,490. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Bemidji State University is about $94,556. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low 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 Bemidji State University
Request Information
Kansas State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. K - State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 4,048 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at K - State about 4.5 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $37,066 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from K - State is $168,650. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low 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%. In addition to its great value ranking, K - State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list.
Full Kansas State University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #23, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,479 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Minnesota State University - Mankato graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,257 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $125,110 to get a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Minnesota State University - Mankato
Request Information
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 4,536 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at KU graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $40,372. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from KU be around $174,407. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. KU also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Request Information
College of Saint Mary landed the #25 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Mary is located in Omaha, Nebraska and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 159 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Saint Mary to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $32,382 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary is $138,271. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Read full report on College of Saint Mary
Request InformationNarrow Colleges by State
View Best Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) Nationwide >
All Majors and Fields of Study >
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Minnesota State University - Moorhead | Moorhead, MN |
| 27 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 27 | Northwest Missouri State University | Maryville, MO |
| 29 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | Rolla, MO |
| 30 | Missouri State University - Springfield | Springfield, MO |
| 31 | Cottey College | Nevada, MO |
| 32 | University of Minnesota - Crookston | Crookston, MN |
More Plains States Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.