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2026 Best Value Other Economics Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Other Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/economics-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other economics schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Other Economics Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Other Economics Schools in the The Plains States Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other economics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Other Economics Schools

1

University Of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN

$14,608 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,250 Avg Student Debt

$62,616 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in other economics, no school beat University Of Minnesota Duluth this year. University Of Minnesota Duluth is a large public school located in the city of Duluth. Students from in state pay about $14,608 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,134. Other Economics graduates carry a median of $25,250 in student loans. Early-career other economics graduates make about $50,873. Set against $25,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

2

Drake University
Des Moines, IA

$51,960 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,273 Avg Student Debt

$71,901 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in other economics will find it at Drake University, which ranked #2. Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,960. Other Economics graduates carry a median of $22,273 in student loans. Early-career other economics graduates make about $56,228. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.

View All Other Economics Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.