2024 Best Schools for the Money (No Aid) in the Plains States Region
284
Colleges
$10,242
Avg Undergrad Tuition & Fees*
$8,223
Avg Room & Board*
There are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. 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 in the Plains States Region ranking.
In This Year's Value Report:
Choosing the Best School for You
After analyzing 284 schools in the Plains States Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best value programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
Our Methodology
Our Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking is determined by first looking at the combined costs of average tuition, fees, and room and board before any aid is applied.
In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Additional Rankings
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
To get a better picture of the best value schools for your income range or for whether or not you'll receive aid, click on one of the tiles above. Are you more interested in the best value schools in your area? Try narrowing this list
by location. In addition, we've put together a number of other
college rankings that may help you in your search.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Best Value Schools (No Aid) in the Plains States Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to be the best value (no aid) school in the Plains States Region in this year’s ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Kansas City, Missouri.
The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $21,152 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $19,082 a year.
Learn More About Value at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
The quality degree programs at Hennepin Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Hennepin Technical College has the honor of being ranked #5 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,675 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $7,934 a year.
Full Hennepin Technical College Value Report
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list means Lake Area Technical Institute is a great place for students working on their degree. Watertown, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Lake Area Technical Institute a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in South Dakota for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,988 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $7,270 a year.
Learn More About Value at Lake Area Technical Institute
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list means Logan University is a great place for students working on their degree. Logan University is located in Chesterfield, Missouri and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $16,936 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $18,436 per year for graduate students.
Full Logan University Value Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ranken Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Not only is Ranken Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Missouri for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $23,914 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,750 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Ranken Technical College
Dakota County Technical College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. DCTC is located in Rosemount, Minnesota and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Dakota County Technical College is ranked #15 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,678 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,470 per year for graduate students.
Full Dakota County Technical College Value Report
Capella University landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Not only is Capella University a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Minnesota for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $20,148 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $20,784 per year for graduate students.
Learn More About Value at Capella University
With a ranking of #8, Metropolitan Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Omaha, Nebraska.
Not only is Metropolitan Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in Nebraska for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $10,935 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,255 a year.
Read full value report on Metropolitan Community College
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is located in Rochester, Minnesota and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
The average cost without aid for the school is $19,364 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $30,108 a year.
Full Mayo Clinic School of Medicine Value Report
Bellevue University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Not only is Bellevue University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Nebraska for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $18,993 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $22,413 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Bellevue University
With a ranking of #11, Walden University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Walden University is a large private for-profit school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Walden University has the honor of being ranked #8 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $20,298 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $19,931 per year for graduate students.
Learn More About Value at Walden University
Century College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Century College is ranked #25 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,049 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,142 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Century College
Normandale Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Bloomington, Minnesota, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Normandale Community College has the honor of being ranked #22 in Minnesota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,049 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $8,260 a year.
Full Normandale Community College Value Report
Mitchell Technical College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Mitchell Technical College is a small public school located in Mitchell, South Dakota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Mitchell Technical College is ranked #7 for quality in the state of South Dakota. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $13,524 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,000 a year.
Read full value report on Mitchell Technical College
Park University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Parkville, Missouri.
Park University has the honor of being ranked #9 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $16,937 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $14,519 a year.
Learn More About Value at Park University
With a ranking of #16, Ozark Christian College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Ozark Christian College is located in Joplin, Missouri and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
The average cost without aid for the school is $20,530 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,270 a year.
Learn More About Value at Ozark Christian College
Bismarck State College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. This small public school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Bismarck State College has the honor of being ranked #5 in North Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,387 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,457 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Bismarck State College
With a ranking of #18, Northwestern Health Sciences University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. NWHSU is located in Bloomington, Minnesota and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
The average cost without aid for the school is $24,105 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $24,046 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Northwestern Health Sciences University
Concordia University, Nebraska came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Seward, Nebraska.
Concordia University, Nebraska has the honor of being ranked #4 in Nebraska for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $45,910 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $18,250 per year for graduate students.
Full Concordia University, Nebraska Value Report
Martin Luther College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. Martin Luther College is a small private not-for-profit school located in New Ulm, Minnesota.
The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $23,590 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $12,080 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Martin Luther College
South Dakota State University landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school located in Brookings, South Dakota.
South Dakota State University has the honor of being ranked #1 in South Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $20,863 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $24,971 per year for graduate students.
Full South Dakota State University Value Report
Garden City Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. This small public school is located in Garden City, Kansas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Garden City Community College is ranked #9 for quality in the state of Kansas. The average cost without aid for the school is $10,846 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,826 a year.
Read full value report on Garden City Community College
With a ranking of #23, Anoka Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Anoka Technical College is a public institution located in Anoka, Minnesota.
Not only is Anoka Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #33 in Minnesota for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $13,851 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,776 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Anoka Technical College
With a ranking of #24, Alexandria Technical & Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region list. Alexandria, 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, Alexandria Technical & Community College is ranked #36 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $11,372 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $5,462 per year for graduate students.
Read full value report on Alexandria Technical & Community College
Valley City State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. This small public school is located in Valley City, North Dakota.
Valley City State University has the honor of being ranked #4 in North Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $19,888 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $14,642 a year.
Read full value report on Valley City State University
