2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography
12
Ranked Colleges
144
Degrees Awarded
$28,300
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Geography is the 159th most popular major in the country with 4,954 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across Illinois, there were 144 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geography program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Geography Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography” list to help you make the college decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying geography.
Top 12 Best Geography Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 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. To help with additional expenses, 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%.
Full UIUC Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying geography list, UChicago has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 241 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,948. During this same period, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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 UChicago]](/colleges/university-of-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
SIUE 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 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 32 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State 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 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State University, 530 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 full report on veteran student life at Illinois State University]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend DePaul University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
DePaul 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 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul 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%.
Read More…
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, NIU supports 16,769 students, and 480 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 207 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full NIU Veteran Student Life Report
Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, 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, EIU supports 8,626 students, and 184 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 46 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. 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.
Read More…
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography ranking, coming in at #8. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 2 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Elmhurst also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 3,421 students enrolled at Elmhurst University, 77 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,985. On top of their other funding sources, 7 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%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #9, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. CSU is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,644 students enrolled at Chicago State University, 94 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,489. 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.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Chicago State University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Northwestern University supports 22,603 students, and 1 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 $399. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 Northwestern University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #11, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Northeastern Illinois University 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 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University, 147 were 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 $6,460. 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 More…
With a ranking of #12, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois vets studying geography list, Augustana has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,389 students enrolled at Augustana College, 28 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,990. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Augustana College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 Augustana]](/colleges/augustana-college-illinois/student-life/veterans/)
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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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