22
Ranked Colleges
1,528
Degrees Awarded
$29,900
Avg Cost*
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 10,266 people earned their degree in communication and media studies, making the major the 82nd most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,528 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region vets studying media studies.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of Wisconsin - Madison supports 44,640 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Wisconsin - Madison]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 456 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Miami University - Oxford landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 60 degrees to qualified ’s media studies students in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford, 405 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,877. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 62 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUE also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 104 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 983 of the 24,565 students enrolled at UWM were GI Bill® students, of which 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,519. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full UWM Veteran Student Life Report
Illinois State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 71 degrees to qualified ’s media studies students in 2020-2021.
Illinois State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies ranking. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Ohio University - Athens Campus supports 25,714 students, and 726 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 324 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,725. On top of their other funding sources, 10 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #9, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full DePaul Veteran Student Life Report
Saint Norbert College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies ranking. De Pere, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
SNC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,939 students enrolled at Saint Norbert College, 23 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,190. During this same period, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Saint Norbert College Veteran Student Life Report
Michigan State University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 320 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Michigan State University supports 49,695 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,686. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Michigan State]](/colleges/michigan-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Otterbein University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Otterbein is located in Westerville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
Otterbein also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 2,652 students enrolled at Otterbein, 58 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 28 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,115. In addition to receiving other benefits, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Otterbein does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Otterbein University]](/colleges/otterbein-university/student-life/veterans/)
Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 25 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Wright State University - Main Campus also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 10,936 students enrolled at Wright State University - Main Campus, 731 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 419 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,623. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Wright State University - Main Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
University of Southern Indiana came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 20 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
USI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 10,203 students enrolled at University of Southern Indiana, 162 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 87 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,638. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Indiana University - South Bend ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Indiana University - South Bend, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,942 students enrolled at Indiana University - South Bend, 134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 65 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,685. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Indiana University - South Bend]](/colleges/indiana-university-south-bend/student-life/veterans/)
Governors State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies ranking. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying media studies list, GSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,650 students enrolled at GSU, 146 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,291. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. GSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Governors State University Veteran Student Life Report
Heidelberg University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Heidelburg College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tiffin, Ohio. It awarded 6 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Heidelburg College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,230 students enrolled at Heidelberg University, 25 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,280. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #18, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Olivet Nazarene University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #19, Denison University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. Denison is a small school located in Granville, Ohio that handed out 48 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Denison also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 15 of the 2,258 students enrolled at Denison University were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,672. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
University of St Francis came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
University of Saint Francis also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,529 students enrolled at University of Saint Francis were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,734. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of St Francis]](/colleges/university-of-st-francis/student-life/veterans/)
Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies ranking, coming in at #21. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at TIU Illinois, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Trinity International University - Illinois supports 1,454 students, and 14 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,061. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full TIU Illinois Veteran Student Life Report
Rochester University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Media Studies list. RU is a small school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 23 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, RU supports 1,231 students, and 14 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,569. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Rochester University Veteran Student Life Report
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Notes and References
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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits