2023 Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 48 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value master's degree programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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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Top Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Mount Marty University the best value school in the Plains States Region for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Yankton, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Mount Marty are $9,650 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Mount Marty does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 91% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Mount Marty also took the #1 spot in our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region rankings.
Out of the 48 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Newman University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in Wichita, Kansas, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Newman University are $8,484 a year.
Newman University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 42% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Newman University not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Morningside College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Morningside College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 39 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Morningside are $6,516 per year.
Since the graduate programs at Morningside are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
The excellent master’s degree programs at Rasmussen University - North Dakota helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Rasmussen University - North Dakota are $5,615 a year.
Since the graduate programs at Rasmussen University - North Dakota are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
The excellent master’s degree programs at Rasmussen University - Minnesota helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Plains States Region . This small private for-profit school is located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 2 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Rasmussen University - Minnesota are $5,615 per year.
Since the graduate programs at Rasmussen University - Minnesota are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Nebraska Wesleyan University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 32 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at NWU are $7,580 per year.
One thing to take note of is that NWU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in Winona, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 63 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SMU MN are $10,890 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at SMU MN. In 2019-2020 about 86% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
SMU MN also took the #2 spot in our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region rankings.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in Fayette, Missouri, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
CMU CGES graduate students pay an average of $6,435 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CMU CGES does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 78% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Read full report on Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies
Southwest Baptist University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Southwest Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bolivar, Missouri. It awarded 7 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Southwest Baptist University graduate students pay an average of $5,388 in tuition and fees each year.
Southwest Baptist University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 47% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, the fairly large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $9,308 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Minnesota State Mankato. In fact, around 40% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Grantham University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Grantham University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in Lenexa, Kansas that handed out 11 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Grantham University are $4,800 a year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Grantham University. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Ottawa University - Kansas City landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Ottawa University - Kansas City is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in Overland Park, Kansas. It awarded 2 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Ottawa University - Kansas City are $10,968 per year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Ottawa University - Kansas City. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Ottawa University - Kansas City also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Walden University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the large private for-profit school awarded 4,104 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Walden University are $10,092 per year.
Walden University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Bethel University Minnesota ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bethel University Minnesota graduate students pay an average of $11,700 in tuition and fees each year.
Bethel University Minnesota does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Bethel University Minnesota also did well on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Webster University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Webster University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 83 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Webster graduate students pay an average of $13,500 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Webster does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 61% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Webster is ranked #4 for overall quality in the Plains States Region .
Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Lamoni, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 176 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Graceland Lamoni are $11,187 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, Graceland Lamoni is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Augsburg University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Augsburg are $13,500 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Augsburg, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 4% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Augsburg did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Winona State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 11 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Winona State are $12,836 per year.
Winona State does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 66% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Mary did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
UMary graduate students pay an average of $13,304 in tuition and fees each year.
UMary does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 80% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, the medium-sized public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
MSU Moorhead graduate students pay an average of $11,052 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that MSU Moorhead does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 84% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Saint Mary landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in Leavenworth, Kansas, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at University of St. Mary are $11,160 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at University of St. Mary. During the 2019-2020 year, about 34% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 839 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Maryville U are $15,696 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Maryville U, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Maryville U also is in the top 15% of our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Briar Cliff University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Briar Cliff is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux City, Iowa. It awarded 27 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Briar Cliff are $10,530 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Briar Cliff. In 2019-2020 about 64% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #24, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Missouri State is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Missouri State are $12,618 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Missouri State. In fact, around 72% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Fort Hays State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Hays, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at FHSU are $11,376 per year.
FHSU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
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.
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