2026 Best Value General Health & Wellness Schools in the The Plains States Region
[General Health & Wellness](/majors/health-care-professions/health-services-sciences/health-and-wellness-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 27 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general health & wellness students.
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2026 Best Value General Health & Wellness Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general health & wellness, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Health & Wellness Schools
Leading the list is University Of Minnesota Crookston, our #1 best value for general health & wellness in the The Plains States Region. Located in the town of Crookston, University Of Minnesota Crookston is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,288. Students borrow a median of $24,954 to complete the general health & wellness program here. General Health & Wellness graduates of University Of Minnesota Crookston earn a median of $40,361 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in general health & wellness will find it at Northwest Missouri State University, which ranked #2. Northwest Missouri State University is a large public school located in the town of Maryville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,611, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Students borrow a median of $22,375 to complete the general health & wellness program here. General Health & Wellness graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn a median of $32,268 early in their careers. Set against $22,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earned it the #3 place for general health & wellness. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Students borrow a median of $22,115 to complete the general health & wellness program here. Early-career general health & wellness graduates make about $53,988. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Kansas State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general health & wellness, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general health & wellness graduates is $23,546. General Health & Wellness graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of $51,543 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,546 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of North Dakota came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general health & wellness schools. Set in the city of Grand Forks, University Of North Dakota is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,951, while out-of-state students pay about $15,570. Typical student debt for general health & wellness graduates is $25,110. Soon after graduation, general health & wellness degree recipients from University Of North Dakota generally make around $64,378. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Clarke University landed the #6 spot for general health & wellness value this year. Set in the city of Dubuque, Clarke University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,910. General Health & Wellness graduates carry a median of $26,895 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general health & wellness degree recipients from Clarke University generally make around $53,450. That is a strong return on a $26,895 median debt. Clarke University admits about 72% of applicants.
Culver Stockton College landed the #7 spot for general health & wellness value this year. Culver Stockton College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Canton. In-state tuition and fees average $30,875. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the general health & wellness program here. Soon after graduation, general health & wellness degree recipients from Culver Stockton College generally make around $38,725. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Simpson College placed #8 among the best values for general health & wellness. Located in the town of Indianola, Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,656. Students borrow a median of $26,816 to complete the general health & wellness program here. General Health & Wellness graduates of Simpson College earn a median of $48,888 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,816 median debt. Simpson College admits about 86% of applicants.
Rockhurst University placed #9 among the best values for general health & wellness. Set in the city of Kansas City, Rockhurst University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $44,966 in tuition and fees. General Health & Wellness graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general health & wellness degree recipients from Rockhurst University generally make around $70,849. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia College Missouri landed the #10 spot for general health & wellness value this year. Set in the city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,276. Students borrow a median of $29,213 to complete the general health & wellness program here. General Health & Wellness graduates of Columbia College Missouri earn a median of $47,962 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,213 median debt.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis landed the #11 spot for general health & wellness value this year. Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Students from in state pay about $27,166 in tuition and fees. General Health & Wellness graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General Health & Wellness graduates of Maryville University Of Saint Louis earn a median of $67,909 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Maryville University Of Saint Louis admits about 95% of applicants.
Creighton University earned the #12 position for value in general health & wellness this year. Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $48,856 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general health & wellness program here. Early-career general health & wellness graduates make about $49,735. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 27 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.
