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2023 Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans

20 Ranked Colleges
165 Degrees Awarded
$34,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master's

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 United States Studies for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

American U.S. Studies is the 350th most popular major in the country with 1,419 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in American U.S. studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality American U.S. studies programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the American U.S. studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank American U.S. Studies Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree vets studying united states studies.

Top 20 Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 1 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 570 of the 47,907 students enrolled at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor were GI Bill® students, of which 325 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $27,058. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 U-M Veteran Student Life Report

2

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying united states studies list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supports 30,092 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

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3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #3 spot on the list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 5 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying united states studies list, William & Mary has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 8,939 students enrolled at William & Mary, 531 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 349 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,978. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students received scholarships 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at William & Mary]](/colleges/college-of-william-and-mary/student-life/veterans/)

4
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s list. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also took the #1 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Brown supports 9,948 students, and 98 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 $20,111. To help with additional expenses, 40 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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.

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5
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Washington University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s United States studies degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GWU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 27,017 students enrolled at GWU, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,185. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

6
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. NYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 1 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

NYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, NYU supports 52,775 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,388. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

7
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 3 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa also took the #12 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Iowa supports 30,318 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Iowa offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 Iowa Veteran Student Life Report

8

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s United States studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH Manoa, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 18,025 students enrolled at UH Manoa, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,153. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UH Manoa]](/colleges/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/student-life/veterans/)

9

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 3 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also took the #7 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 7 of the 50,476 students enrolled at UT Austin 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 $2,893. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 52,017 students enrolled at UMN Twin Cities, 752 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 UMN Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report

11

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 1 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #10 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 40,709 students enrolled at UMCP, 16 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,716. On top of their other funding sources, 8 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UMCP]](/colleges/university-of-maryland-college-park/student-life/veterans/)

12

With a ranking of #12, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 5 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UNM also took the #16 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 22,311 students enrolled at University of New Mexico - Main Campus were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of New Mexico - Main Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

13
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 masters’s United States studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying united states studies list, Yale has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 12,060 students enrolled at Yale, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,238. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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%.

Read More…

14

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 14 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2.According to our most recent data, Columbia University in the City of New York supports 30,135 students, and 739 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 467 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,069. On top of their other funding sources, 328 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Columbia University in the City of New York]](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/student-life/veterans/)

15
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. UD is a large public school situated in Newark, Delaware. It awarded 7 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 364 of the 23,613 students enrolled at UD were GI Bill® students, of which 188 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,229. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

16
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. Rutgers University - Newark is a fairly large public school situated in Newark, New Jersey. It awarded 4 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Rutgers Newark also made our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19.Of the 13,231 students enrolled at Rutgers Newark, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $29,673. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Rutgers Newark Veteran Student Life Report

17

California State University - Fullerton came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #17 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 42,051 students enrolled at California State University - Fullerton, 748 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 342 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,729. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Cal State Fullerton]](/colleges/california-state-university-fullerton/student-life/veterans/)

18

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 7 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UMass Boston also made our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18.Of the 16,259 students enrolled at University of Massachusetts - Boston, 678 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 362 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,414. 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 full report on veteran student life at UMass Boston]](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-boston/student-life/veterans/)

19

The City College of New York landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking. CCNY is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 5 masters’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.

CCNY not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 125 of the 15,227 students enrolled at The City College of New York were GI Bill® students, of which 64 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,172. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The City College of New York does offer 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%.

Full CCNY Veteran Student Life Report

20
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for United States Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Hartford, Connecticut, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Bantams, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Trinity College supports 2,241 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,408. During this same period, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 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…

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