2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education
18
Ranked Colleges
783
Degrees Awarded
$27,500
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 783 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,358 and $19,756 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs as well as strong veteran support.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the general education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank General Education Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region vets studying education.
Top 18 Best General Education Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
CU Anschutz also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 24,723 students enrolled at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wyoming is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying education list, UW has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 11,829 students enrolled at UW, 473 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,738. During this same period, 13 students received scholarships through 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…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boise State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education list. Boise State University is located in Boise, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Boise State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State University, 1,134 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,559. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Boise State University offers 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%.
Full Boise State University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Utah University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education. Cedar City, Utah is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.
Southern Utah University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 12,582 students enrolled at Southern Utah University, 534 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 378 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,076. To help with additional expenses, 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%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Montana State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education. Located in Bozeman, Montana, this fairly large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Bozeman, 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, MSU Bozeman supports 16,218 students, and 656 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 393 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,023. To help with additional expenses, 37 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 full report on veteran student life at Montana State University]](/colleges/montana-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #6, Utah State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education list. Utah State University is a public institution located in Logan, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
USU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 27,691 students enrolled at USU 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 $285. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. USU offers 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%.
Full Utah State University Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Montana - Western landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. This small school is located in Dillon, Montana, and it awarded 38 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Montana Western also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 51 of the 1,334 students enrolled at The University of Montana - Western 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 $5,068. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Montana Western Veteran Student Life Report
University of Idaho landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. University of Idaho is a fairly large school located in Moscow, Idaho that handed out 9 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 10,791 students enrolled at University of Idaho, 382 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Idaho offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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…
Idaho State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education list. This fairly large school is located in Pocatello, Idaho, and it awarded 27 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ISU, 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 422 of the 11,766 students enrolled at ISU were GI Bill® students, of which 221 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,419. To help with additional expenses, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Weber State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. WSU is a large school located in Ogden, Utah that handed out 17 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying education list, WSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,596 students enrolled at Weber State University, 747 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 472 were 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. 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 full report on veteran student life at WSU]](/colleges/weber-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Regis University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. Regis U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 3 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying education list, Regis U has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 408 of the 6,310 students enrolled at Regis U were GI Bill® students, of which 329 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,208. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Regis U 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%.
Full Regis U Veteran Student Life Report
University of Northern Colorado landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. University of Northern Colorado is a public institution located in Greeley, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Northern Colorado not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 11,460 students enrolled at University of Northern Colorado, 1 were 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 scholarships through 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 Northern Colorado]](/colleges/university-of-northern-colorado/student-life/veterans/)
Montana State University - Billings landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. Montana State University - Billings is a public institution located in Billings, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Montana State University - Billings not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 4,000 students enrolled at Montana State University - Billings, 74 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 51 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,177. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 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 Montana State University - Billings]](/colleges/montana-state-university-billings/student-life/veterans/)
Colorado Mesa University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education list. Colorado Mesa University is a public institution located in Grand Junction, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado Mesa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 9,110 students enrolled at Colorado Mesa, 439 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,707. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Colorado Mesa University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #15, Westminster College Utah did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education list. Westminster College Salt Lake is a small school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 14 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Westminster College Salt Lake 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 63 of the 1,849 students enrolled at Westminster College Salt Lake were GI Bill® students, of which 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,108. During this same period, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Westminster College Salt Lake offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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 full report on veteran student life at Westminster College Salt Lake]](/colleges/westminster-college-utah/student-life/veterans/)
Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
MSU Denver also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,086 students enrolled at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 1,222 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 867 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,619. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Metropolitan State University of Denver]](/colleges/metropolitan-state-college-of-denver/student-life/veterans/)
Colorado State University - Pueblo came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. Colorado State University - Pueblo is located in Pueblo, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Colorado State University - Pueblo also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,925 students enrolled at Colorado State University - Pueblo, 21 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,707. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Colorado State University - Pueblo does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Colorado State University - Pueblo]](/colleges/colorado-state-university-pueblo/student-life/veterans/)
Western Colorado University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Education ranking. Located in Gunnison, Colorado, this small public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying education list, Western has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 75 of the 3,203 students enrolled at Western were GI Bill® students, of which 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,543. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Western]](/colleges/western-state-college-of-colorado/student-life/veterans/)
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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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