2023 Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
12
Ranked Colleges
1,294
Degrees Awarded
$29,100
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting is the 12th most popular major in the country with 142,610 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $37,355 and had an average of $25,230 in loans still to pay off.
Across Iowa, there were 1,294 homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,594 and $27,027 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa vets studying homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting.
Top 12 Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees to 135 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State 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 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State, 814 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,933. During this same period, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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%.
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Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Ambrose University landed the #2 spot on the list. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 29 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,003 students enrolled at Saint Ambrose University, 88 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,054. In addition to receiving other benefits, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Ambrose University 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%.
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Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Dubuque landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Dubuque is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees to qualified students.
UD 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 115 of the 2,180 students enrolled at UD were GI Bill® students, of which 74 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,817. On top of their other funding sources, 30 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full University of Dubuque Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loras College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 18 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loras, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,404 students enrolled at Loras, 34 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,495. 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%.
Full Loras Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mount Mercy University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting. Mount Mercy is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 39 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting list, Mount Mercy has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 58 of the 1,705 students enrolled at Mount Mercy were GI Bill® students, of which 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,227. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Mount Mercy University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #6, Simpson College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. Simpson College is a small school located in Indianola, Iowa that handed out 27 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
Simpson College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 1,267 students enrolled at Simpson College, 35 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 18 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,481. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for 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%.
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Des Moines Area Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking. DMACC is located in Ankeny, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 439 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees to qualified students.
DMACC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 23,051 students enrolled at DMACC, 500 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 221 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,709. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received 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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Waldorf University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking, coming in at #8. Waldorf is a small private for-profit school situated in Forest City, Iowa. It awarded 242 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Waldorf, 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 398 of the 3,025 students enrolled at Waldorf were GI Bill® students, of which 319 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,621. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Waldorf does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Grand View University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking, coming in at #9. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 23 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
Grand View University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 86 of the 1,874 students enrolled at Grand View University were GI Bill® students, of which 38 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,256. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Grand View University Veteran Student Life Report
Buena Vista University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Storm Lake, Iowa. It awarded 24 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting list, BVU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,863 students enrolled at BVU, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,992. 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.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Buena Vista University Veteran Student Life Report
Hawkeye Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. Hawkeye Community College is a public institution located in Waterloo, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Hawkeye Community College 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, Hawkeye Community College supports 5,042 students, and 150 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 68 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,269. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 Hawkeye Community College]](/colleges/hawkeye-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #12, Indian Hills Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. Indian Hills Community College is a small public school situated in Ottumwa, Iowa. It awarded 18 ’s homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting degrees in 2020-2021.
IHCC 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, Indian Hills Community College supports 3,279 students, and 106 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,629. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Indian Hills Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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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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