2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education
13
Ranked Colleges
466
Degrees Awarded
$29,600
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,719 and had an average of $23,394 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 466 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,021 and $20,500 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying education.
Top 13 Best General Education Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 233 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UIUC Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, McKendree University landed the #2 spot on the list. Lebanon, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
McKendree 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, McKendree supports 2,200 students, and 69 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 41 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. 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.
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 McKendree University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elmhurst University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 13 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying education list, Elmhurst has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Elmhurst University supports 3,421 students, and 77 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 57 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,985. To help with additional expenses, 7 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 More…
Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 330 of the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU were GI Bill® students, of which 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
NIU 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 480 of the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read More…
With a ranking of #6, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education list. Monmouth is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monmouth, Illinois. It awarded 2 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Monmouth also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Monmouth College supports 860 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $24,477. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Monmouth Veteran Student Life Report
Roosevelt University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education ranking. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt University, 95 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,071. During this same period, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Roosevelt University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Roosevelt]](/colleges/roosevelt-university/student-life/veterans/)
Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
Illinois Wesleyan also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 1,636 students enrolled at Illinois Wesleyan University were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,755. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois Wesleyan University]](/colleges/illinois-wesleyan-university/student-life/veterans/)
Trinity Christian College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education list. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 14 of the 1,086 students enrolled at Trinity Christian 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 $10,438. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Trinity Christian College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, North Park University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education list. North Park University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
North Park also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,831 students enrolled at North Park University, 30 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 $11,080. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. North Park University 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full North Park University Veteran Student Life Report
Rockford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education ranking, coming in at #11. Rockford is located in Rockford, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Rockford 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, Rockford supports 1,272 students, and 27 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 19 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,705. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Rockford offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Rockford]](/colleges/rockford-college/student-life/veterans/)
Knox College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education ranking. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, 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, Knox College supports 1,154 students, and 15 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,371. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 full report on veteran student life at Knox]](/colleges/knox-college/student-life/veterans/)
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education ranking, coming in at #13. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Chicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 6,491 students enrolled at Concordia University, Chicago, 134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. During this same period, 4 students received funds through 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…
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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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