2021 Best Colleges for International Students in the Plains States Region
129
Colleges
$37,067
Avg Tuition & Fees*
60%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
When it comes to choosing a college, international students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for International Students in the Plains States Region ranking - to help you make that decision.
After analyzing 129 schools in the Plains States Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for international students in the Plains States Region. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as the total number of international students at the school and the school's overall quality.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
Customizing Your List
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 as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to online students or returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Top Colleges in the Plains States Region for International Students
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found Washington University in St Louis to be the best school for international students in the Plains States Region in this year’s ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 2,441 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 21.0% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at WUSTL are China, South Korea, and India.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full Washington University in St Louis Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Colleges for international students in the Plains States Region list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,414 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 10.0% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at UMN Twin Cities are China, India, and South Korea.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Iowa State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for international students in the Plains States Region. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 6,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 8.1% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Iowa State come from such countries as China, India, and Malaysia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Iowa helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for international students in the Plains States Region. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, the large public school awarded 5,998 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
International students make up 5.9% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Iowa come from such countries as China, South Korea, and India.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on University of Iowa
A rank of #5 on our list means Macalester College is a great place for international students in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 585 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the total number of students at the school, 14.3% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Vietnam come to Macalester to study.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Full Macalester College Report
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,727 students in 2020-2021.
International students make up 8.4% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at UNL come from such countries as China, Malaysia, and India.
Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Report
Saint Louis University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,833 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
International students make up 5.6% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at SLU come from such countries as China, Saudi Arabia, and India.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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Grinnell College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Grinnell, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 496 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Of the total number of students at the school, 19.0% are international. Students studying at Grinnell come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Grinnell College
Carleton College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Carleton College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 517 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 10.1% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Carleton come from such countries as China, South Korea, and India.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Carleton College
University of Kansas ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,600 students in 2020-2021.
International students make up 6.6% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and Saudi Arabia come to KU to study.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,114 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the total number of students at the school, 4.2% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Mizzou to study.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on University of Missouri - Columbia
St Olaf College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region list. St Olaf College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 942 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 9.9% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at St. Olaf are China, Vietnam, and India.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read More…
Kansas State University landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, the large public school handed out 3,967 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the total number of students at the school, 5.6% are international. Students from as far away as China, Saudi Arabia, and India come to K -State to study.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
With a ranking of #14, Drake University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 838 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 2.4% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Drake come from such countries as Malaysia, China, and Vietnam.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read More…
Creighton University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region list. Creighton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,429 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 2.4% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, Saudi Arabia, and India come to Creighton to study.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read More…
Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 449 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 2.8% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Gustavus Adolphus come from such countries as Vietnam, Pakistan, and Mexico.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read More…
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy is a small private not-for-profit school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 103 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the total number of students at the school, 2.9% are international. Students studying at UHSP come from such countries as South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read More…
Luther College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 460 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
International students make up 7.9% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as Vietnam, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe come to Luther to study.
Read full report on Luther College
With a ranking of #19, Augustana University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region. Augustana University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that handed out 567 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
International students make up 4.1% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as Ethiopia, Norway, and China come to Augustana Sioux Falls to study.
Read full report on Augustana University
University of Northern Iowa ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,555 students in 2020-2021.
International students make up 3.5% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as Saudi Arabia, China, and Mexico come to UNI to study.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on University of Northern Iowa
North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,568 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
International students make up 4.9% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at North Dakota State University are India, China, and Bangladesh.
Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Report
Truman State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking. This small public school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 1,154 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 6.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, Nepal, and Vietnam come to Truman State to study.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read More…
University of North Dakota came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 2,097 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 5.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, Canada, and Japan come to UND to study.
Read full report on University of North Dakota
Cornell College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region list. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Mount Vernon, Iowa that handed out 314 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 4.5% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Cornell College are China, Vietnam, and Japan.
Read full report on Cornell College
With a ranking of #25, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in the Plains States Region. UMN Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 304 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
International students make up 4.5% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UMN Morris are China, India, and South Korea.
Full University of Minnesota - Morris Report
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