2023 Best General Education Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans
23
Ranked Colleges
2,078
Degrees Awarded
$27,100
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States.
At the associate degree level specifically, there were 2,078 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,806 and $19,336 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Education Schools
The general education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate”.
Top 23 Best General Education Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Campbell University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate list. Campbell is a medium-sized school located in Buies Creek, North Carolina that handed out 29 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Campbell, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Campbell supports 5,964 students, and 45 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 28 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,969. During this same period, 8 students received funds 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 Campbell University Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
Liberty University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Liberty University supports 93,349 students, and 13,282 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,888. On top of their other funding sources, 386 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Montana - Western landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Dillon, Montana, and it awarded 38 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Montana Western also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 1,334 students enrolled at The University of Montana - Western, 51 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,068. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Montana Western]](/colleges/the-university-of-montana-western/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Empire State College landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 16 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Empire also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10.Among the 10,724 students enrolled at SUNY Empire State College, 279 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 177 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,680. 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SUNY Empire State College]](/colleges/suny-empire-state-college/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Perkinston, Mississippi. It awarded 110 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying general education list, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 9 of the 8,677 students enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,350. During this same period, 0 students received funds 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 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College]](/colleges/mississippi-gulf-coast-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Weber State University landed the #5 spot on the list. WSU is a large public school situated in Ogden, Utah. It awarded 17 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
WSU also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6.According to our most recent data, Weber State University supports 29,596 students, and 747 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 472 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,815. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at WSU]](/colleges/weber-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Montana State University - Billings did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Billings, Montana, this small public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Montana State University - Billings, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 4,000 students enrolled at Montana State University - Billings, 74 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 51 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,177. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Montana State University - Billings Veteran Student Life Report
Pima Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #8. Pima County Community College District is a fairly large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 4 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Pima County Community College District also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 15,544 students enrolled at Pima County Community College District, 853 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 426 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,036. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Lehigh Carbon Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. Lehigh Carbon Community College is a public institution located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
LCCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, LCCC supports 6,205 students, and 129 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 74 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,230. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
With a ranking of #10, NHTI-Concord’s Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate list. NHTI is located in Concord, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 associates’s general education degrees to qualified students.
NHTI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 124 of the 2,945 students enrolled at NHTI were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,607. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 NHTI Veteran Student Life Report
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 206 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 63,809 students enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,500. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ivy Tech Community College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Ivy Tech Community College]](/colleges/ivy-tech-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Stark State College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. Located in North Canton, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying general education list, Stark State College has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 298 of the 10,772 students enrolled at Stark State College were GI Bill® students, of which 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,063. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Stark State College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Stark State College Veteran Student Life Report
Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Sewell, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school handed out 85 degrees to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RCSJ, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 6,369 students enrolled at RCSJ, 102 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,756. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Southwest Baptist University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. Southwest Baptist University is a small school located in Bolivar, Missouri that handed out 1 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southwest Baptist University, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 3,039 students enrolled at Southwest Baptist University, 73 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 27 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,266. On top of their other funding sources, 2 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 #15, Bunker Hill Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate list. BHCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
BHCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, BHCC supports 9,924 students, and 355 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 256 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,893. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Bunker Hill Community College]](/colleges/bunker-hill-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Southern Maine Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #16. Located in South Portland, Maine, this medium-sized public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
SMCC also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21.Among the 5,789 students enrolled at SMCC, 251 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 143 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,882. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SMCC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Maine Community College]](/colleges/southern-maine-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
El Paso Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 25 associates’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
El Paso Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, El Paso Community College supports 26,034 students, and 1,324 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 511 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,459. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at El Paso Community College]](/colleges/el-paso-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Brookdale Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. Brookdale Community College is a public institution located in Lincroft, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 121 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Brookdale Community College also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 10,438 students enrolled at Brookdale Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,980. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Northeast Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #19. Norfolk, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s general education degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Northeast not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Of the 5,105 students enrolled at Northeast, 62 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,545. On top of their other funding sources, 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%.
Full Northeast Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Cumberland University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying general education list, CU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 2,704 students enrolled at Cumberland University, 67 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,347. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Santa Fe Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking. SFCC is a public institution located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 62 of the 3,459 students enrolled at SFCC were GI Bill® students, of which 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,075. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SFCC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full SFCC Veteran Student Life Report
Tulsa Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified associates’s general education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tulsa Community College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 15,568 students enrolled at Tulsa Community College, 581 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 176 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,612. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read More…
Southeastern University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for General Education for an Associate list. Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lakeland, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SEU also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13.Of the 9,546 students enrolled at SEU, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,265. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SEU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
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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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.
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