2026 Best Value International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools in the The Plains States Region

[International Business/Trade/Commerce](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/international-business/international-business-trade-commerce/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong international business/trade/commerce education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 58 schools to find the best return on investment for international business/trade/commerce students.
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2026 Best Value International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in international business/trade/commerce, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools
Leading the list is University Of Nebraska Lincoln, our #1 best value for international business/trade/commerce in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,434, compared with $28,584 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $22,386. Soon after graduation, international business/trade/commerce degree recipients from University Of Nebraska Lincoln generally make around $47,534. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Nebraska Lincoln admits about 88% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Minnesota State University Mankato one of the best values for international business/trade/commerce. Set in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,572, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. International Business/trade/commerce graduates carry a median of $25,260 in student loans. International Business/trade/commerce graduates of Minnesota State University Mankato earn a median of $53,088 early in their careers. Set against $25,260 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Missouri Columbia came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value international business/trade/commerce schools. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,837 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $36,056. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $21,818. International Business/trade/commerce graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $53,134 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,818 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Iowa one of the best values for international business/trade/commerce. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $25,407. Early-career international business/trade/commerce graduates make about $60,660. That is a strong return on a $25,407 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
A rank of #5 makes Augsburg College one of the best values for international business/trade/commerce. Set in the city of Minneapolis, Augsburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $45,452. Students borrow a median of $26,319 to complete the international business/trade/commerce program here. Early-career international business/trade/commerce graduates make about $59,409. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Saint Louis University Main Campus landed the #6 spot for international business/trade/commerce value this year. Set in the city of Saint Louis, Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $55,760. International Business/trade/commerce graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, international business/trade/commerce degree recipients from Saint Louis University Main Campus generally make around $91,065. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. Saint Louis University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
Drake University landed the #7 spot for international business/trade/commerce value this year. Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,960. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $22,273. International Business/trade/commerce graduates of Drake University earn a median of $56,228 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 64%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 58 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.