2023 Best Education Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
14
Ranked Colleges
4,747
Degrees Awarded
$20,312
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 327,871 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 39,972 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,451 and $21,446 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 4,747 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,810 and $18,681 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank 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 Southwest Region for Education for an Associate” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region associate degree vets studying education.
Top 14 Best Education Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tarrant County College District. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate list. This large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 127 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Tarrant County College also made our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3.According to our most recent data, Tarrant County College District supports 43,000 students, and 1,862 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,172 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,319. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Tarrant County College District offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tarrant County College]](/colleges/tarrant-county-college-district/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Texas College. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.
South Texas College also took the #4 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 28,233 students enrolled at South Texas College, 532 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 193 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,731. 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 More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central New Mexico Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate. CNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 137 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNM, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Central New Mexico Community College supports 21,398 students, and 839 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 390 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,171. 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.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest Vista College. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate. Northwest Vista College is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 173 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwest Vista College, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 18,542 students enrolled at Northwest Vista College, 1,638 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,093 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,264. To help with additional expenses, 0 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 Northwest Vista College]](/colleges/northwest-vista-college/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lone Star College System. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate list. North Harris Montgomery is a large school located in The Woodlands, Texas that handed out 265 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
North Harris Montgomery did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, North Harris Montgomery supports 70,109 students, and 1,932 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,202 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,042. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full North Harris Montgomery Veteran Student Life Report
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate list. OSU Institute of Technology is a public institution located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU Institute of Technology, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 2,349 students enrolled at OSU Institute of Technology, 174 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 85 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,592. 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.
Full OSU Institute of Technology Veteran Student Life Report
Pima Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #7. Pima County Community College District is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying education list, Pima County Community College District has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 15,544 students enrolled at Pima Community College, 853 were 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. 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 full report on veteran student life at Pima County Community College District]](/colleges/pima-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
El Paso Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate ranking. El Paso Community College is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 202 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying education list, El Paso Community College has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,324 of the 26,034 students enrolled at El Paso Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 511 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,459. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at El Paso Community College]](/colleges/el-paso-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Palo Alto College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate ranking. Palo Alto College is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 98 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Palo Alto College also made our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6.Among the 11,193 students enrolled at Palo Alto College, 858 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 509 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $729. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Palo Alto College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Palo Alto College]](/colleges/palo-alto-college/student-life/veterans/)
Amarillo College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate list. Amarillo College is a public institution located in Amarillo, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Amarillo College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 9,079 students enrolled at Amarillo College, 260 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,795. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Amarillo College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Amarillo College]](/colleges/amarillo-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #11, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UOPX - Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, University of Phoenix - Arizona supports 89,763 students, and 135 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 157 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,437. During this same period, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Phoenix - Arizona does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Phoenix - Arizona]](/colleges/university-of-phoenix-arizona/student-life/veterans/)
Carl Albert State College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate ranking. Poteau, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying education list, Carl Albert State College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 1,922 students enrolled at Carl Albert State College, 51 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,699. 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.
Full Carl Albert State College Veteran Student Life Report
Santa Fe Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #13. SFCC is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
SFCC also made our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8.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. During this same period, 0 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 Santa Fe Community College]](/colleges/santa-fe-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Tulsa Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Education for an Associate ranking. This fairly large school is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it awarded 20 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Tulsa Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,612. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Read More…
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused 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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.
college factual
