2023 Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
54
Ranked Colleges
5,347
Degrees Awarded
$28,600
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 366,996 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.
Across the Southeast region, there were 119,958 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,347 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,400 and $27,180 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs as well as strong veteran support.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 25 Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 90 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
GMU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, George Mason University supports 38,541 students, and 2,334 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,710. To help with additional expenses, 42 students qualified for 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 86%, 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%.
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Out of the 54 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #2 spot on the list. James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 263 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Among the 21,594 students enrolled at James Madison University, 842 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 students received funds 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at JMU]](/colleges/james-madison-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 54 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.According to our most recent data, UNC 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 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.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 UNC Chapel Hill]](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
NC State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1.Of the 36,042 students enrolled at NC State, 1,102 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 493 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,886. In addition to receiving other benefits, 27 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. NC State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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%.
Read More…
Out of the 54 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 215 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Among the 50,626 students enrolled at USF Tampa, 2,211 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,241 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,943. During this same period, 13 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. USF Tampa does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Middle Tennessee State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 22,080 students enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University, 1,284 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 799 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,132. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Middle Tennessee State University Veteran Student Life Report
University of South Carolina - Columbia ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 101 students in 2020-2021.
UofSC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 35,470 students enrolled at University of South Carolina - Columbia, 1,609 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 651 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,453. On top of their other funding sources, 33 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of South Carolina - Columbia does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 UofSC Veteran Student Life Report
University of Louisville landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. UofL is a public institution located in Louisville, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofL, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Among the 22,211 students enrolled at University of Louisville, 17 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,972. 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%.
Read More…
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 139 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Greensboro also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #16.According to our most recent data, University of North Carolina at Greensboro supports 19,764 students, and 885 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 329 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,723. During this same period, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full UNC Greensboro Veteran Student Life Report
University of Southern Mississippi landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Southern Mississippi is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Among the 14,606 students enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi, 351 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 226 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,605. 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 More…
Hampton University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hampton, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Hampton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 3,516 students enrolled at Hampton, 34 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,739. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Hampton Veteran Student Life Report
East Carolina University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the 28,798 students enrolled at ECU, 8 were 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 $11,409. During this same period, 0 students received funds 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 East Carolina University]](/colleges/east-carolina-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Memphis landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UofM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.According to our most recent data, UofM supports 22,205 students, and 766 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 446 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,772. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received funds 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 University of Memphis]](/colleges/university-of-memphis/student-life/veterans/)
East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Johnson City, Tennessee, this fairly large public school handed out 81 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying liberal studies list, ETSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, ETSU supports 13,713 students, and 6 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,115. 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 East Tennessee State University]](/colleges/east-tennessee-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Coastal Carolina University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Coastal Carolina University is located in Conway, South Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Coastal Carolina University also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17.According to our most recent data, Coastal Carolina University supports 10,118 students, and 684 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 329 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,232. During this same period, 28 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 Coastal Carolina University]](/colleges/coastal-carolina-university/student-life/veterans/)
Florida International University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
FIU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9.Among the 58,836 students enrolled at FIU, 1,079 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,771. 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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 Florida International University]](/colleges/florida-international-university/student-life/veterans/)
Austin Peay State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 62 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 10,272 students enrolled at Austin Peay State University 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 $13. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Austin Peay State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Austin Peay State University Veteran Student Life Report
Liberty University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also took the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Liberty University supports 93,349 students, and 13,282 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,888. On top of their other funding sources, 386 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Liberty University Veteran Student Life Report
Belmont University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Belmont did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 343 of the 8,204 students enrolled at Belmont were GI Bill® students, of which 227 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,102. During this same period, 146 students received funds 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%.
Full Belmont University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Mary Washington did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. University of Mary Washington is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
UMW also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Mary Washington supports 4,293 students, and 47 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 39 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,578. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Mary Washington 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%.
Full UMW Veteran Student Life Report
Florida Atlantic University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
FAU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11.Our most recent data shows that 708 of the 30,805 students enrolled at FAU were GI Bill® students, of which 397 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,153. On top of their other funding sources, 0 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%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #22, Jacksonville State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Jacksonville State University is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Jacksonville State University supports 9,238 students, and 371 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 125 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,159. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Jacksonville State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Jacksonville State University]](/colleges/jacksonville-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #23, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school handed out 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,033 of the 26,269 students enrolled at West Virginia University were GI Bill® students, of which 458 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,599. In addition to receiving other benefits, 66 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full WVU Veteran Student Life Report
Saint Leo University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. St. Leo University is located in Saint Leo, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Among the 9,832 students enrolled at St. Leo University, 8 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,916. 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 Saint Leo University]](/colleges/saint-leo-university/student-life/veterans/)
Northern Kentucky University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Liberal Studies for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
NKU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 469 of the 16,211 students enrolled at Northern Kentucky University were GI Bill® students, of which 236 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,158. 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.
Full NKU Veteran Student Life Report
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