2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography
19
Ranked Colleges
288
Degrees Awarded
$27,500
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 4,954 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 159th most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 288 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography” ranking looked at 19 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region vets studying geography.
Top 19 Best Geography Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. Park University is a medium-sized school located in Parkville, Missouri that handed out 35 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Park 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 10,165 students enrolled at Park University, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,501. 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 Park University Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Iowa supports 30,318 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. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Iowa 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 34 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou 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 31,089 students enrolled at Mizzou, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,384. During this same period, 0 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 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 Kansas. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
KU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 26,744 students enrolled at KU, 70 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,917. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. KU 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%. 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 join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, 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 752 of the 52,017 students enrolled at UMN Twin Cities were GI Bill® students, of which 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 qualified for 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 93%. 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report
University of North Dakota ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
UND 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 796 of the 13,615 students enrolled at UND were GI Bill® students, of which 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 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 More…
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 list. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State 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 369 of the 11,405 students enrolled at South Dakota State were GI Bill® students, of which 158 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,731. 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 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 South Dakota State University]](/colleges/south-dakota-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
UNI 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 251 of the 9,507 students enrolled at UNI were GI Bill® students, of which 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. To help with additional expenses, 1 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 86%, 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…
With a ranking of #9, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
UNL also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,374. During this same period, 79 students qualified for 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 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, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNOMAHA 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 15,892 students enrolled at UNOMAHA, 928 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 488 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,364. During this same period, 75 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNOMAHA offers 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 More…
Kansas State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 8 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State 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, Kansas State University supports 20,854 students, and 1,099 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 647 are 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Kansas State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 Kansas State University Veteran Student Life Report
Saint Cloud State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, 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, Saint 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. 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 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 Saint Cloud State University]](/colleges/saint-cloud-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato 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 331 of the 14,761 students enrolled at Minnesota State Mankato were GI Bill® students, of which 147 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,814. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Minnesota State Mankato 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 More…
University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 7 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UST MN also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 9,792 students enrolled at UST MN, 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of St Thomas Minnesota]](/colleges/university-of-st-thomas-minnesota/student-life/veterans/)
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 4 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest 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 168 of the 7,267 students enrolled at Northwest Missouri State University were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,773. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northwest Missouri State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Northwest Veteran Student Life Report
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
UMKC 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 16,147 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Kansas City, 1 are 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 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 landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, 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 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 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…
With a ranking of #18, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. Gustavus Adolphus College is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Gustavus Adolphus 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 24 of the 2,230 students enrolled at Gustavus Adolphus were GI Bill® students, of which 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 funds 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%. 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 Gustavus Adolphus College]](/colleges/gustavus-adolphus-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #19, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. Macalester College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Macalester also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 2,049 students enrolled at Macalester College, 13 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,323. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
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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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