2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts
54
Ranked Colleges
25,747
Degrees Awarded
$25,200
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 556,813 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 25,747 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,957 and $14,623 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts” ranking, we looked at 54 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 Illinois for Liberal Arts
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying liberal arts.
Top 25 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
Out of the 54 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 157 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 241 of the 17,834 students enrolled at University of Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. To help with additional expenses, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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%.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 126 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
DePaul also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul 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%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 126 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Illinois State 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, Illinois State supports 20,720 students, and 530 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 163 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State 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 Illinois State Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 169 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
WIU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. 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.
Full Western Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 58 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying liberal arts list, SIUC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. SIUC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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College of Lake County landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. College of Lake County is located in Grayslake, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,475 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at College of Lake County, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, College of Lake County supports 11,854 students, and 307 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 182 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,560. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. College of Lake County does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Northeastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 110 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Northeastern Illinois University 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 147 of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. 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 Northeastern Illinois University]](/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
William Rainey Harper College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Palatine, Illinois, and it awarded 1,873 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Harper College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 181 of the 12,199 students enrolled at William Rainey Harper College were GI Bill® students, of which 131 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,155. 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 full report on veteran student life at Harper College]](/colleges/harper-college/student-life/veterans/)
Waubonsee Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. Sugar Grove, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 505 students in 2020-2021.
Waubonsee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 144 of the 7,564 students enrolled at Waubonsee Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 89 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,748. 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.
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City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking, coming in at #10. Harold Washington College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,599 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harold Washington College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 211 of the 6,479 students enrolled at Harold Washington College were GI Bill® students, of which 145 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,190. 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.
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Joliet Junior College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. Joliet Junior College is a fairly large school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 752 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Joliet Junior College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 10,267 students enrolled at Joliet Junior College, 171 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 112 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,584. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Joliet Junior College]](/colleges/joliet-junior-college/student-life/veterans/)
Southwestern Illinois College ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. Southwestern Illinois College is a medium-sized school located in Belleville, Illinois that handed out 451 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
SWIC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 6,906 students enrolled at SWIC, 492 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 271 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,194. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SWIC offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Southwestern Illinois College Veteran Student Life Report
Kaskaskia College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. Kaskaskia College is located in Centralia, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 211 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Kaskaskia College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,785 students enrolled at Kaskaskia College, 70 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,798. 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 Kaskaskia College]](/colleges/kaskaskia-college/student-life/veterans/)
Eastern Illinois University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.
EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University, 184 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern Illinois University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Eastern Illinois University]](/colleges/eastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
College of DuPage ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. Located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, this large public school handed out 962 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
COD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 21,010 students enrolled at COD, 391 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 246 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,049. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. COD does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Governors State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 120 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University, 146 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,291. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Governors State University]](/colleges/governors-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 12 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 4,146 students enrolled at UIS, 214 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,253. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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%.
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John Wood Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small public school handed out 267 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
John Wood Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 1,881 students enrolled at John Wood Community College, 72 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,562. 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.
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McHenry County College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. McHenry County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Crystal Lake, Illinois. It awarded 841 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying liberal arts list, MCC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 7,814 students enrolled at MCC, 97 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,962. 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.
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Northern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.
NIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NIU]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #21, Elgin Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. Elgin Community College is a medium-sized school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 931 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
ECC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 7,882 students enrolled at Elgin Community College, 144 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 100 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,559. 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.
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Black Hawk College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking, coming in at #22. BHC is a public institution located in Moline, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 527 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
BHC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 3,743 students enrolled at Black Hawk College, 106 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 51 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,075. 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.
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Kankakee Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. Located in Kankakee, Illinois, this small public school handed out 368 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying liberal arts list, Kankakee Community College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,245 students enrolled at Kankakee Community College, 56 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,951. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Kankakee Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Kankakee Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Lincoln Land Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 522 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
LLCC 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, LLCC supports 4,977 students, and 228 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 73 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,396. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Lincoln Land Community College]](/colleges/lincoln-land-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #25, Danville Area Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Liberal Arts list. DACC is located in Danville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 225 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
DACC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 72 of the 2,171 students enrolled at Danville Area Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,499. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at DACC]](/colleges/danville-area-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
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