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2023 Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

13 Ranked Colleges
1,251 Degrees Awarded
$25,500 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 32,740 people earned their degree in exercise science and kinesiology, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 1,251 exercise science and kinesiology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in exercise science and kinesiology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent exercise science and kinesiology 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 exercise science and kinesiology program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The exercise science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying exercise science.

Top 13 Best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 175 degrees to qualified ’s exercise science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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. 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.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 60 ’s exercise science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Illinois University Carbondale]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)

3

Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 69 ’s exercise science degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State University]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s exercise science degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, 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 1 of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago 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 $23,878. 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…

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s exercise science degrees to 66 students 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.According to our most recent data, SIUE supports 12,860 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUE offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

6
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science list. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 54 ’s exercise science degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora 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 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,999. To help with additional expenses, 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…

7
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science ranking. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

North Central also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, North Central College supports 2,832 students, and 46 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 32 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. On top of their other funding sources, 15 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 North Central College]](/colleges/north-central-college/student-life/veterans/)

8

With a ranking of #8, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s exercise science degrees to qualified students.

WIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, WIU supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are 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 qualified for 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

9
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 69 ’s exercise science degrees in 2020-2021.

EIU 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 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University, 184 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. 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 Eastern Illinois University]](/colleges/eastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

10
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s exercise science degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Elmhurst supports 3,421 students, and 77 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 57 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,985. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Elmhurst offers 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Elmhurst University]](/colleges/elmhurst-college/student-life/veterans/)

11
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science ranking. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s exercise science degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

Monmouth also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 860 students enrolled at Monmouth College were GI Bill® students, of which 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $24,477. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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. 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 Monmouth Veteran Student Life Report

12
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University, 57 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene University]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)

13
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Exercise Science list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s exercise science degrees to 296 students in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Concordia University, Chicago supports 6,491 students, and 134 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 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…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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