2023 Best General Engineering Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
17
Ranked Colleges
1,361
Degrees Awarded
$31,200
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 in the Southwest Region for Engineering” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 9,018 people earned their degree in general engineering, making the major the 96th most popular in the United States.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,361 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree in general engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general engineering 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 engineering program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank General Engineering Schools
The engineering 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 in the Southwest Region for Engineering”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region vets studying engineering.
Top 17 Best General Engineering Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - College Station 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 $4,925. 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.
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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Texas A&M University - College Station Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #2 spot on the list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 174 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 74,795 students enrolled at ASU - Tempe, 7,566 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3,828 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,068. In addition to receiving other benefits, 672 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full ASU - Tempe Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 23 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UNM 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, UNM supports 22,311 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are 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.
Read More…
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 29 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona, 2,131 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,880. To help with additional expenses, 31 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Arizona]](/colleges/university-of-arizona/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Christian University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering list. TCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying engineering list, TCU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, TCU supports 11,379 students, and 520 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 405 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,096. In addition to receiving other benefits, 343 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. TCU 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
Oklahoma Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking, coming in at #6. Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
OC 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 2,055 students enrolled at Oklahoma Christian University, 81 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,775. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 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%.
Full OC Veteran Student Life Report
Texas Tech University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 10 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying engineering list, Texas Tech has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech, 1,242 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 630 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,480. 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 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%. 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 More…
Austin Community College District came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking. Austin Community College District is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Austin Community College District 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, Austin Community College District supports 39,896 students, and 2,473 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 59 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $735. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Austin Community College District]](/colleges/austin-community-college-district/student-life/veterans/)
New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NMSU Main Campus, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 14,227 students enrolled at New Mexico State University - Main Campus, 620 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 285 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,880. 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…
Southern Methodist University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering list. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying engineering list, SMU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 12,373 students enrolled at SMU, 327 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 215 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,612. During this same period, 103 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full SMU Veteran Student Life Report
Lamar University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking, coming in at #11. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
Lamar University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 16,637 students enrolled at Lamar University, 692 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 353 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,108. 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.
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…
Oral Roberts University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking. Oral Roberts University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It awarded 27 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying engineering list, ORU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,317 students enrolled at Oral Roberts University, 135 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 76 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,157. During this same period, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Oral Roberts University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full ORU Veteran Student Life Report
Texas State University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Texas State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State University, 2,559 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,635. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas State University]](/colleges/texas-state-university-san-marcos/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #14, Prairie View A & M University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering list. PVAMU is a medium-sized school located in Prairie View, Texas that handed out 16 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
PVAMU 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 571 of the 9,248 students enrolled at PVAMU were GI Bill® students, of which 156 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,470. 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 Prairie View A & M University]](/colleges/prairie-view-a-and-m-university/student-life/veterans/)
West Texas A&M University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking. Located in Canyon, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
West Texas A&M University 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, West Texas A&M University supports 10,036 students, and 446 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 191 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,617. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. West Texas A&M University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full West Texas A&M University Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTEP, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 24,879 students enrolled at UTEP, 1,873 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 942 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,990. On top of their other funding sources, 2 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 The University of Texas at El Paso]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-el-paso/student-life/veterans/)
Baylor University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Engineering ranking. Baylor is located in Waco, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying engineering list, Baylor has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,297 students enrolled at Baylor University, 876 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 593 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,744. During this same period, 263 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%. 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 Baylor Veteran Student Life Report
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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 Rémi Kaupp.
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