2023 Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
22
Ranked Colleges
351
Degrees Awarded
$55,322
Avg Salary
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Urban Studies is the 209th most popular major in the country with 1,507 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, urban studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,193 and had an average of $21,495 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in urban studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great urban studies programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the urban studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree vets studying urban studies.
Top 22 Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 77 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,311 of the 46,287 students enrolled at USC were GI Bill® students, of which 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
[Read full report on veteran student life at USC]](/colleges/university-of-southern-california/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s. VCU is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
VCU also made our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10.According to our most recent data, VCU supports 29,070 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,085. 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.
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 Virginia Commonwealth University]](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Fordham University landed the #3 spot on the list. Fordham U is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 6 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Fordham U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Fordham U supports 16,364 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Fordham U offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 6 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying urban studies list, UWM has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 24,565 students enrolled at UWM, 983 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,519. To help with additional expenses, 3 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 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s urban studies degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, University of Maryland - College Park supports 40,709 students, and 16 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 13 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,716. To help with additional expenses, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Maryland - College Park 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Maryland - College Park Veteran Student Life Report
Virginia Tech ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 5 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also took the #4 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 37,024 students enrolled at Virginia Tech, 119 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 108 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,314. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Virginia Tech Veteran Student Life Report
Drexel University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. Drexel University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 masters’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
Drexel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 23,589 students enrolled at Drexel University 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Drexel University]](/colleges/drexel-university/student-life/veterans/)
Queens College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. Queens College is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 28 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
QC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 19,700 students enrolled at QC, 215 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 123 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,823. 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at QC]](/colleges/cuny-queens-college/student-life/veterans/)
Georgia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Georgia State is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 masters’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
Georgia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Georgia State University supports 36,360 students, and 1,873 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 662 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,934. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Xavier University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 5 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Xavier also took the #19 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 249 of the 7,061 students enrolled at Xavier were GI Bill® students, of which 184 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,316. In addition to receiving other benefits, 75 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 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%.
Full Xavier Veteran Student Life Report
Hunter College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 68 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Hunter not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 24,052 students enrolled at Hunter, 152 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 97 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,442. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Hunter Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #12, Portland State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 3 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Portland State University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,127 of the 23,640 students enrolled at Portland State University were GI Bill® students, of which 739 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,835. On top of their other funding sources, 100 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Portland State University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 4 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 928 of the 15,892 students enrolled at UNOMAHA were GI Bill® students, of which 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 75 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%.
Read More…
Northeastern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 3 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying urban studies list, Northeastern has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 22,905 students enrolled at Northeastern University, 9 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $25,441. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
With a ranking of #15, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 23 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Tufts also made our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3.Of the 12,219 students enrolled at Tufts, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tufts University]](/colleges/tufts-university/student-life/veterans/)
Boston University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
Boston U also took the #9 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 32,718 students enrolled at Boston University, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,162. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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 Boston University]](/colleges/boston-university/student-life/veterans/)
Cleveland State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. Cleveland State University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
Cleveland State University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Cleveland State University supports 15,247 students, and 411 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 169 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,076. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full Cleveland State University Veteran Student Life Report
University of San Francisco came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of San Francisco supports 10,068 students, and 6 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 $19,232. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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%.
Full University of San Francisco Veteran Student Life Report
The New School came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. New School University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 4 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
New School University also made our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18.Among the 9,047 students enrolled at The New School, 117 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 69 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,786. In addition to receiving other benefits, 51 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full New School University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s list. UCO is a fairly large public school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 14,132 students enrolled at University of Central Oklahoma, 934 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 428 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,062. 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.
Read More…
The Graduate Center, CUNY came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 28 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The Graduate Center did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, The Graduate Center, CUNY supports 9,300 students, and 49 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,335. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. 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 The Graduate Center Veteran Student Life Report
Roosevelt University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Urban Studies for a Master’s ranking. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 masters’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt also took the #21 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Roosevelt supports 4,680 students, and 95 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 43 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,071. To help with additional expenses, 20 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Roosevelt University 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.
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