More than half of all college freshmen are enrolled at a college within 100 miles of their permanent home. Only a small fraction venture further than 500 miles from home for college.

But knowing which colleges are in your region is important for several reasons. First, because of their location, these colleges provide you a good opportunity to visit the campus. Even if you move far away for college, seeing what is available nearby will help you decide which type of college fits you best. Also, colleges nearby may have state-funded merit aid programs that extend across state lines. So you may be able to pay in-state tuition for a college that is located across state lines.

These are the private colleges and universities located in the Great Plains states: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Tuition listed is for one full academic year, based on 2007 data.

Private Colleges in the Great Plains States

College	City	State	Full-time undergrads	Tuition
Grinnell College	Grinnell	IA	1,609	$33,910
Luther College	Decorah	IA	2,602	$28,840
Coe College	Cedar Rapids	IA	1,347	$26,390
Cornell College	Mount Vernon	IA	1,136	$26,280
Maharishi University of Management	Fairfield	IA	364	$24,430
Wartburg College	Waverly	IA	1,850	$24,300
Buena Vista University	Storm Lake	IA	2,660	$23,842
Drake University	Des Moines	IA	2,887	$23,692
Simpson College	Indianola	IA	1,811	$23,596
Loras College	Dubuque	IA	1,529	$23,330
Central College	Pella	IA	1,329	$22,510
Northwestern College	Orange City	IA	1,289	$21,648
Clarke College	Dubuque	IA	2,580	$20,580
Saint Ambrose University	Davenport	IA	2,580	$20,580
Morningside College	Sioux City	IA	1,183	$20,164
Mount Mercy College	Cedar Rapids	IA	1,309	$20,070
Briar Cliff University	Sioux City	IA	1,035	$19,995
Dordt College	Sioux Center	IA	1,275	$19,900
Upper Iowa University	Fayette	IA	3,503	$19,625
University of Dubuque	Dubuque	IA	1,244	$19,180
Iowa Wesleyan College	Mount Pleasant	IA	786	$18,870
Waldorf College	Forest City	IA	662	$18,576
Graceland University-Lamoni	Lamoni	IA	1,540	$17,900
Grand View College	Des Moines	IA	1,552	$17,752
William Penn University	Oskaloosa	IA	1,515	$16,880
Baker University	Baldwin City	KS	1,758	$18,830
Newman University	Wichita	KS	$1,314	$17,928
Southwestern College	Winfield	KS	1383	$17,820
Bethel College	North Newton	KS	516	$17,800
Benedictine College	Atchison	KS	1320	$17,700
Tabor College	Hillsboro	KS	550	$17,640
Kansas Wesleyan University	Salina	KS	731	$17,400
Ottawa University	Ottawa	KS	377	$17,350
University of Saint Mary	Leavenworth	KS	469	$17,270
Friends University	Wichita	KS	1,895	$17,220
Bethany College	Lindsborg	KS	457	$17,110
MidAmerica Nazarene University	Olathe	KS	1,273	$17,090
McPherson College	McPherson	KS	572	$16,400
Sterling College	Sterling	KS	559	$15,500
Central Christian College of Kansas	McPherson	KS	348	$15,300
Barclay College	Haviland	KS	78	$12,300
Creighton University	Omaha	NE	4,310	$26,634
Midland Lutheran College	Fremont	NE	917	$20,924
Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln	NE	1,905	$20,252
College of Saint Mary	Omaha	NE	722	$20,136
Concordia University	Seward	NE	1,148	$19,790
Hastings College	Hastings	NE	1,155	$19,604
Dana College	Blair	NE	601	$19,370
Doane College	Crete	NE	939	$19,150
Union College	Lincoln	NE	854	$16,130
York College	York	NE	417	$14,000
Bellevue University	Bellevue	NE	4,720	$5,445
Doane College-Lincoln Grand Island and Master	Lincoln	NE	630	$4,696
University of Mary	Bismarck	ND	2,039	$11,780
Jamestown College	Jamestown	ND	1,018	$11,535
Augustana College	Sioux Falls	SD	1,748	$21,182
University of Sioux Falls	Sioux Falls	SD	1,224	$17,940
Dakota Wesleyan University	Mitchell	SD	758	$17,600
Mount Marty College	Yankton	SD	846	$17,468