2023 Best International Studies Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
18
Ranked Colleges
868
Degrees Awarded
$30,200
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies” ranking.
International Studies is the 100th most popular major in the country with 7,368 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 868 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,564 and $24,274 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international studies programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies”.
Top 18 Best International Studies Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 209 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 47,907 students enrolled at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, 570 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, 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…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, 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, University of Wisconsin - Madison supports 44,640 students, and 4 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. 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 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 95%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UW - Madison]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 54 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC 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, UIUC supports 52,679 students, and 10 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIUC 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 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Miami University - Oxford landed the #4 spot on the list. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
Miami University - Oxford also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford, 405 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,877. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 full report on veteran student life at Miami University - Oxford]](/colleges/miami-university-oxford/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 12,809 students enrolled at University of Notre Dame, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,670. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Notre Dame]](/colleges/university-of-notre-dame/student-life/veterans/)
University of Dayton did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking, coming in at #6. UDayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UDayton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 11,650 students enrolled at University of Dayton, 197 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 142 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,930. During this same period, 40 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Dayton]](/colleges/university-of-dayton/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
UW - Stevens Point 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 8,302 students enrolled at UW - Stevens Point, 343 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 129 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,195. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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 UW - Stevens Point]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/student-life/veterans/)
Baldwin Wallace University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking, coming in at #8. Baldwin Wallace College is located in Berea, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baldwin Wallace College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,399 students enrolled at Baldwin Wallace University, 114 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,938. To help with additional expenses, 37 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Baldwin Wallace University]](/colleges/baldwin-wallace-college/student-life/veterans/)
Western Michigan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 23 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, WMU supports 19,887 students, and 584 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 327 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,981. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full WMU Veteran Student Life Report
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 35 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UWM also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 983 of the 24,565 students enrolled at UWM were GI Bill® students, of which 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,519. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Grand Valley State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 12 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying international studies list, GVSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 23,350 students enrolled at GVSU, 479 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 198 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,686. 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 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 Grand Valley State University]](/colleges/grand-valley-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUE 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 3 of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUE offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full SIUE Veteran Student Life Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
UC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 909 of the 40,826 students enrolled at UC were GI Bill® students, of which 498 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,806. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UC 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus]](/colleges/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #14, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies list. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Wright State University - Main Campus 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, Wright State University - Main Campus supports 10,936 students, and 731 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 419 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,623. To help with additional expenses, 4 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 #15, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies list. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, 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 577 of the 18,142 students enrolled at BGSU were GI Bill® students, of which 258 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,808. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Michigan State University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 49,695 students enrolled at Michigan 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 $14,686. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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%.
Full Michigan State Veteran Student Life Report
Hope College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking. Hope is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Holland, Michigan. It awarded 13 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying international studies list, Hope has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,061 students enrolled at Hope College, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,425. During this same period, 12 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Hope College Veteran Student Life Report
Illinois College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for International Studies ranking, coming in at #18. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Illinois 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 1,154 students enrolled at Illinois College, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,406. 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 Illinois 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.
Credits
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