2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate
22
Ranked Colleges
1,843
Degrees Awarded
$17,400
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 Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 129,869 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,607 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,843 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,723 and $22,140 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general studies 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 studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region associate degree vets studying general studies.
Top 22 Best General Studies Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s general studies degrees to 450 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region associate degree vets studying general studies list, Columbia College Missouri has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 8,347 students enrolled at Columbia College Missouri, 6 were 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 $750. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds 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 Columbia College]](/colleges/columbia-college-missouri/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #2 spot on the list. South Dakota State University is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 40 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 11,405 students enrolled at South Dakota State, 369 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 158 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,731. 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 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 South Dakota State University]](/colleges/south-dakota-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa Western Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized school located in Council Bluffs, Iowa that handed out 53 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa Western Community College also made our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4.Of the 5,791 students enrolled at Iowa Western Community College, 1 were 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 $583. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Des Moines Area Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate. This large school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 125 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
DMACC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 23,051 students enrolled at DMACC, 500 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 221 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,709. 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 More…
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 10 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region associate degree vets studying general studies list, Western Iowa Tech Community College has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 5,360 students enrolled at Western Iowa Tech Community College, 117 were 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 $2,455. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Ozarks Technical Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified associates’s general studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OTC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 11,237 students enrolled at Ozarks Technical Community College, 564 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 219 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,819. 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.
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Barton County Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Barton Community College is located in Great Bend, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barton Community College, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 4,094 students enrolled at Barton Community College, 136 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 93 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,370. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Barton Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Iowa Central Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and it awarded 7 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa Central Community College, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 100 of the 4,704 students enrolled at Iowa Central Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,481. 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.
Full Iowa Central Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Marshalltown Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate ranking. Marshalltown Community College is a small school located in Marshalltown, Iowa that handed out 2 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Marshalltown Community College also made our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12.According to our most recent data, Marshalltown Community College supports 1,836 students, and 30 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 10 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,511. 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.
Read More…
Northeast Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate ranking. Northeast Community College is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Northeast also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 5,105 students enrolled at Northeast, 62 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,545. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northeast 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Northeast]](/colleges/northeast-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #11, Mineral Area College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Mineral Area College is a small public school situated in Park Hills, Missouri. It awarded 10 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
MAC also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 2,410 students enrolled at MAC, 78 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,837. 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.
Full Mineral Area College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #12, North Central Missouri College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. North Central Missouri College is located in Trenton, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
NCMC also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 29 of the 1,591 students enrolled at NCMC were GI Bill® students, of which 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,051. 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.
Read More…
With a ranking of #13, Independence Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Independence Community College is a small public school situated in Independence, Kansas. It awarded 70 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Independence Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 798 students enrolled at Independence Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,089. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Independence Community College]](/colleges/independence-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #14, Mayville State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Mayville State University is located in Mayville, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Mayville State University also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Mayville State University supports 1,168 students, and 48 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 $3,070. 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.
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Crowder College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate ranking. Crowder College is located in Neosho, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 283 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Crowder College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Crowder College supports 4,194 students, and 92 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 38 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,317. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Crowder College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Crowder College]](/colleges/crowder-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #16, Missouri State University - West Plains did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Missouri State West Plains is a public institution located in West Plains, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 104 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri State West Plains did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 68 of the 1,920 students enrolled at Missouri State University - West Plains were GI Bill® students, of which 26 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,749. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Missouri State University - West Plains does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Missouri State University - West Plains]](/colleges/missouri-state-university-west-plains/student-life/veterans/)
Haskell Indian Nations University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate ranking. Haskell Indian Nations University is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Haskell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 731 students enrolled at Haskell, 15 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,237. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Haskell]](/colleges/haskell-indian-nations-university/student-life/veterans/)
Labette Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Located in Parsons, Kansas, this small public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified associates’s general studies students in 2020-2021.
Labette Community College also made our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15.According to our most recent data, Labette Community College supports 1,464 students, and 20 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 7 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,304. 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.
Full Labette Community College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #19, Hesston College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Hesston is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hesston, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hesston, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 16 of the 359 students enrolled at Hesston were GI Bill® students, of which 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,356. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 Hesston College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #20, Garden City Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. This small school is located in Garden City, Kansas, and it awarded 45 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Garden City Community College also made our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6.Our most recent data shows that 18 of the 1,868 students enrolled at Garden City Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,326. 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 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…
East Central College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate ranking, coming in at #21. East Central College is located in Union, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 254 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
East Central College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 2,593 students enrolled at East Central College, 67 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 41 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,580. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. East Central College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Leech Lake Tribal College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for General Studies for an Associate list. Leech Lake Tribal College is a small public school situated in Cass Lake, Minnesota. It awarded 12 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region associate degree vets studying general studies list, Leech Lake Tribal College has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Leech Lake Tribal College supports 133 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. 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.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Leech Lake Tribal College 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.
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