2023 Best Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 31,555 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 113 schools in the Plains States Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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2023 Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies the best value school in the Plains States Region for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
CMU CGES undergraduate students pay an average of $6,720 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at CMU CGES take out an average of $29,850 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, CMU CGES is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Full Nursing at Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies Report
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Grantham University is a great value for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Lenexa, Grantham University is a private for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Grantham University are $8,280 a year. Nursing majors at Grantham University take out an average of $29,478 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Grantham University also did well on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Bemidji State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public college with a small student population.
Bemidji State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,806 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Bemidji State University carry an average student debtload of $32,595.
Bemidji State University did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Southwest Minnesota State University is a great value for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Marshall.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southwest Minnesota State University are $9,482 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Southwest Minnesota State University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $32,041.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Southwest Minnesota State University also is in the top 15% of our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Ottawa University - Kansas City is a great value for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Overland Park, Ottawa University - Kansas City is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ottawa University - Kansas City are $12,869 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ottawa University - Kansas City take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $29,652.
Ottawa University - Kansas City also took the #1 spot in our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region rankings.
With a ranking of #6, Mayville State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Mayville State University is a small public school located in the rural area of Mayville.
Mayville State University undergraduate students pay an average of $10,756 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Mayville State University accumulate an average of around $33,395 in student debt.
Mayville State University also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Minot State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the remote town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU are $8,163 per year. Nursing majors at MSU take out an average of $27,508 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Metropolitan State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Metro State are $9,394 per year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Metro State accumulate an average of around $34,517 in student debt.
Capella University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Capella University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,148 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Capella University take out an average of $28,936 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Capella University did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Dickinson State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. DSU is a small public school located in the town of Dickinson.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DSU are $9,942 per year.
Herzing University - Minneapolis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Herzing University - Minneapolis is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Minneapolis.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Herzing University - Minneapolis are $14,200 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Herzing University - Minneapolis take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $42,677. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.
South Dakota State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at South Dakota State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $29,938. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $162.
Chamberlain University - Missouri came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Chamberlain - Missouri is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chamberlain - Missouri are $19,820 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Missouri carry an average student debtload of $37,103. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Clarkson College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the large city of Omaha, Clarkson College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clarkson College are $14,880 per year. Nursing majors at Clarkson College take out an average of $38,225 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
University of South Dakota came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. USD is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Vermillion.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USD are $12,942 per year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at USD accumulate an average of around $31,467 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $129.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the Plains States Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | North Dakota State University - Main Campus | Fargo, ND |
| 17 | Cox College | Springfield, MO |
| 19 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
| 20 | Rasmussen University - North Dakota | Fargo, ND |
| 21 | Winona State University | Winona, MN |
| 21 | Minnesota State University - Moorhead | Moorhead, MN |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Focus Areas
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.