2023 Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
18
Ranked Colleges
224
Degrees Awarded
$27,700
Avg Cost*
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Geography is the 159th most popular major in the country with 4,954 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Plains States region, there were 288 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 224 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography 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 geography program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 18 Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Park University landed the #1 spot on the list. Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Parkville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Park University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 10,165 students enrolled at Park University, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,501. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Park University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 31,089 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Columbia, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,384. 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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 University of Missouri - Columbia Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying geography list, Iowa has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa, 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. 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 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 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 Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 6 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, KU supports 26,744 students, and 70 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 40 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,917. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Kansas]](/colleges/university-of-kansas/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 752 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. 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.
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 93%.
Full UMN Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report
University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 3 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 13,615 students enrolled at UND, 796 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 395 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,112. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UND 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%.
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With a ranking of #7, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7.Of the 11,405 students enrolled at South Dakota State, 369 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 158 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,731. 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.
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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With a ranking of #8, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 9,507 students enrolled at UNI, 251 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,033. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNI offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, 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…
University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 690 of the 25,108 students enrolled at UNL were GI Bill® students, of which 344 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,374. During this same period, 79 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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…
With a ranking of #10, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying geography list, K -State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 20,854 students enrolled at Kansas State University, 1,099 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 647 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,562. To help with additional expenses, 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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%.
Read More…
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15.Our most recent data shows that 331 of the 14,761 students enrolled at Minnesota State University - Mankato were GI Bill® students, of which 147 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. During this same period, 0 students received funds 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%.
Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Veteran Student Life Report
Saint Cloud State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, St. Cloud State University supports 11,841 students, and 291 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 126 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,067. 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 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 St. Cloud State University Veteran Student Life Report
University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of St Thomas Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
UST MN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 9,792 students enrolled at UST MN, 2 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. 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.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, 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…
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Maryville, Missouri that handed out 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9.According to our most recent data, Northwest supports 7,267 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 68 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,773. 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 Northwest]](/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UMKC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UMKC supports 16,147 students, and 1 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 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…
Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. Missouri State is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Missouri State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 23,505 students enrolled at Missouri State University - Springfield were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,830. To help with additional expenses, 1 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 Missouri State]](/colleges/missouri-state-university-springfield/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #17, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2020-2021.
Gustavus Adolphus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 2,230 students enrolled at Gustavus Adolphus College, 24 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,970. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 88%.
Full Gustavus Adolphus Veteran Student Life Report
Macalester College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Macalester, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 2,049 students enrolled at Macalester College, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $24,323. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Couleur.
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