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2023 Best Geographic Information Science Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

16 Ranked Colleges
482 Degrees Awarded
$27,200 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science

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 the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 3,231 people earned their degree in geographic information science, making the major the 333rd most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 482 geographic information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in geographic information science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geographic information science programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geographic information science program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geographic Information Science Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Geographic Information Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The geographic information 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 the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science”.

Top 16 Best Geographic Information Science Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 47 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State University - Main Campus, 2 are 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. 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.

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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State Veteran Student Life Report

2

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 Geographic Information Science list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 92 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison 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 44,640 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Madison, 4 are 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. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Wisconsin - Madison offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Read More…

3

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 32 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying geographic information science list, UIUC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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…

4
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Michigan University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geographic information science degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Eastern Michigan also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 16,294 students enrolled at Eastern Michigan, 486 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 265 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,462. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern Michigan does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Eastern Michigan University Veteran Student Life Report

5
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Michigan University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s geographic information science degrees to qualified students.

WMU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 584 of the 19,887 students enrolled at Western Michigan University were GI Bill® students, of which 327 were 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

6
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #6, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 14 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying geographic information science list, Central Michigan has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 17,311 students enrolled at Central Michigan 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 $425. 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.

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…

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s geographic information science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, 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 - Eau Claire supports 11,017 students, and 283 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 91 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,514. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received scholarships 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 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-eau-claire/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 32 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 40,826 students enrolled at UC, 909 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. During this same period, 15 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 88%, 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%.

Full UC Veteran Student Life Report

9

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 25 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens 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, Ohio University - Athens Campus supports 25,714 students, and 726 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 324 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,725. In addition to receiving other benefits, 10 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 Ohio University - Athens Campus]](/colleges/ohio-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

10

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s geographic information science degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 29,390 students enrolled at IUPUI, 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 $5,439. 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.

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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis]](/colleges/indiana-university-purdue-university-indianapolis/student-life/veterans/)

11

University of Akron Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s geographic information science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, 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 Akron Main Campus supports 16,094 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,240. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Akron Main Campus]](/colleges/university-of-akron-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

12

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 23 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

Kent State 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 26,822 students enrolled at Kent State University at Kent, 778 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 374 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,199. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Kent State University at Kent offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

13

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, 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, Western Illinois University supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. 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…

14
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 5 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, 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, Michigan State supports 49,695 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Michigan State]](/colleges/michigan-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

15
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science ranking, coming in at #15. Marquette, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geographic information science degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

Northern Michigan University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,368 students enrolled at Northern Michigan University, 337 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 136 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,630. 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 Northern Michigan University Veteran Student Life Report

16
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geographic Information Science list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 9 ’s geographic information science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying geographic information science list, EIU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 184 of the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern Illinois University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

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