2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography
19
Ranked Colleges
1,042
Degrees Awarded
$30,400
Avg Cost*
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 the Southwest Region for Geography” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Geography & Cartography is the 110th most popular major in the country with 8,526 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,604 and had an average of $22,522 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,042 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,011 and $22,758 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in geography and cartography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography and cartography programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The geography 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 Southwest Region for Geography”.
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. 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 Southwest Region for Geography
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography”.
Top 19 Best Geography & Cartography Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station 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 5 of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - College Station 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 $4,925. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas A&M University - College Station does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 More…
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #2 spot on the list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 74,795 students enrolled at Arizona State University - Tempe, 7,566 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3,828 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,068. During this same period, 672 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 86%, 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 ASU - Tempe]](/colleges/arizona-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 41 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geography list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus supports 27,772 students, and 12 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 10 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,720. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus 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 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 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 82 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geography list, University of Arizona has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2,131 of the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona were GI Bill® students, of which 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,880. To help with additional expenses, 31 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Arizona offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Arizona Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 90 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State, 2,559 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,635. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas State offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 22 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UNM 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, University of New Mexico - Main Campus supports 22,311 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. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UNM]](/colleges/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
Texas Christian University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking. TCU is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
TCU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 520 of the 11,379 students enrolled at Texas Christian University were GI Bill® students, of which 405 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,096. During this same period, 343 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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%.
Full TCU Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
UTSA 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, UTSA supports 34,742 students, and 3,565 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,847 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,531. 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 More…
With a ranking of #9, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geography list, OSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,038 of the 24,535 students enrolled at OSU were GI Bill® students, of which 439 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,226. During this same period, 39 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, 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 North Texas supports 40,953 students, and 2,038 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,138 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of North Texas offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of North Texas Veteran Student Life Report
Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking, coming in at #11. SFASU is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 19 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geography list, SFASU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, SFASU supports 12,620 students, and 427 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 177 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,500. 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.
Full Stephen F Austin State University Veteran Student Life Report
Texas Tech University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking. Texas Tech University is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, 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 1,242 of the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech University were GI Bill® students, of which 630 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,480. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas Tech 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Texas Tech University Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking, coming in at #13. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 53 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 50,476 students enrolled at UT Austin, 7 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 $2,893. On top of their other funding sources, 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 97%. 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…
Sam Houston State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
SHSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 21,912 students enrolled at Sam Houston State University, 1,092 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 496 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,097. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Sam Houston State University]](/colleges/sam-houston-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Northern Arizona University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 17 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,566 students enrolled at NAU, 1,055 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,378. On top of their other funding sources, 56 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%.
Full NAU Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #16, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography list. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, 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, UT Dallas supports 28,669 students, and 752 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 458 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,706. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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 90%. 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 Houston - Clear Lake ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography list. UH Clear Lake is a medium-sized public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 8 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UH Clear Lake also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 9,053 students enrolled at University of Houston - Clear Lake, 465 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 292 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,337. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Houston - Clear Lake does offer 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 full report on veteran student life at UH Clear Lake]](/colleges/university-of-houston-clear-lake/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
NMSU Main Campus 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 14,227 students enrolled at New Mexico State University - Main Campus, 620 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 285 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,880. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. New Mexico State University - Main Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Central New Mexico Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geography ranking. Albuquerque, New Mexico 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.
CNM 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 839 of the 21,398 students enrolled at CNM were GI Bill® students, of which 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,171. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CNM does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Central New Mexico Community College Veteran Student Life Report
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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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