2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography
19
Ranked Colleges
494
Degrees Awarded
$27,500
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Plains States region, there were 494 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,544 and $20,546 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 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Plains States Region for Geography” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography”.
Top 19 Best Geography & Cartography Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Park University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, Park University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Park University supports 10,165 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,501. 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 Park University]](/colleges/park-university/student-life/veterans/)
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 located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Iowa also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 full report on veteran student life at Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
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. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 34 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, Mizzou 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 Missouri - Columbia supports 31,089 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,384. 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 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Mizzou]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-columbia/student-life/veterans/)
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 Kansas landed the #4 spot on the list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
KU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 26,744 students enrolled at University of Kansas, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,917. 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.
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%.
Full University of Kansas Veteran Student Life Report
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. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 56 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” 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. To help with additional expenses, 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 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. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
UND 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 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UND 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 full report on veteran student life at University of North Dakota]](/colleges/university-of-north-dakota/student-life/veterans/)
South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking, coming in at #7. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
South Dakota State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,731. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. South Dakota State 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%.
Full South Dakota State University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Northern Iowa ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 17 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, UNI has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. During this same period, 1 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 86%.
Full UNI Veteran Student Life Report
University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 7 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UNL also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Nebraska - Lincoln supports 25,108 students, and 690 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 344 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,374. In addition to receiving other benefits, 79 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 85%, 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…
University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. UNOMAHA is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
UNOMAHA 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, UNOMAHA supports 15,892 students, and 928 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 488 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,364. To help with additional expenses, 75 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 UNOMAHA]](/colleges/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha/student-life/veterans/)
Kansas State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, K -State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 20,854 students enrolled at K -State, 1,099 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 647 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,562. To help with additional expenses, 0 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%. 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 K -State]](/colleges/kansas-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #12, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 22 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato 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 14,761 students enrolled at Minnesota State University - Mankato, 331 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. 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 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…
Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking, coming in at #13. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 11,841 students enrolled at Saint Cloud State University, 291 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,067. 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 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 #14, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2023 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UST MN, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 9,792 students enrolled at University of St Thomas Minnesota, 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. 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 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 87%.
Read More…
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. UMKC is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UMKC 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 1 of the 16,147 students enrolled at UMKC were GI Bill® students, of which 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 received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMKC 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Missouri - Kansas City]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/student-life/veterans/)
Northwest Missouri State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 32 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, Northwest has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 7,267 students enrolled at Northwest, 168 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were 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 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 Northwest Missouri State University]](/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 21 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 23,505 students enrolled at Missouri State University - Springfield, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. On top of their other funding sources, 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 full report on veteran student life at Missouri State]](/colleges/missouri-state-university-springfield/student-life/veterans/)
Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geography list. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geography list, Gustavus Adolphus has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,970. To help with additional expenses, 7 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read More…
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 is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Macalester 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 13 of the 2,049 students enrolled at Macalester College were GI Bill® students, of which 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 Macalester]](/colleges/macalester-college/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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