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2023 Best Public Administration Colleges for Veterans

275 Ranked Colleges
16,897 Degrees Awarded
$35,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 16,897 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin” ranking looked at 275 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 for Public Admin” list to help you make the college decision.

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 for Public Admin

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin”.

Top 25 Best Public Administration Colleges for Veterans

1

Out of the 275 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 185 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State 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 2 of the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State were GI Bill® students, of which 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. During this same period, 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 94%. 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…

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 126 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying public admin list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Texas A&M University - College Station supports 70,418 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,925. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The 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 94%.

Read More…

3
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 164 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying public admin list, USC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 46,287 students enrolled at USC, 1,311 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. During this same period, 388 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. USC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 full report on veteran student life at University of Southern California]](/colleges/university-of-southern-california/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 30,092 students enrolled at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/student-life/veterans/)

5
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Syracuse University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 281 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Syracuse also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 21,322 students enrolled at Syracuse, 385 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 250 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,840. On top of their other funding sources, 217 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Syracuse 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 full report on veteran student life at Syracuse University]](/colleges/syracuse-university/student-life/veterans/)

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 48,149 students enrolled at UW Seattle, 1,283 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 769 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,190. 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UW Seattle]](/colleges/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/student-life/veterans/)

7

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking, coming in at #7. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 107 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 31,089 students enrolled at Mizzou were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were 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. 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Missouri - Columbia]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-columbia/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 37 ’s public admin degrees 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.Among the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 752 are 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 Minnesota - Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report

9
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

With a ranking of #9, Rutgers University - Newark did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Newark, New Jersey is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 139 students in 2020-2021.

Rutgers Newark did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 13,231 students enrolled at Rutgers University - Newark, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $29,673. During this same period, 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 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Rutgers Newark]](/colleges/rutgers-university-newark/student-life/veterans/)

10
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. New York University is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 191 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

NYU 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 1 of the 52,775 students enrolled at NYU were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,388. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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…

11
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #11, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 65 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying public admin list, KU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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. 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 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 86%.

Full University of Kansas Veteran Student Life Report

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #12, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 29,986 students enrolled at UK, 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. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UK 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UK Veteran Student Life Report

13
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, James Madison University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 79 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 842 of the 21,594 students enrolled at James Madison University were GI Bill® students, of which 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at JMU]](/colleges/james-madison-university/student-life/veterans/)

14

With a ranking of #14, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 757 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington 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, IU Bloomington supports 43,064 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.

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 91%.

Read More…

15
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #15, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 67 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

GWU 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 27,017 students enrolled at George Washington University, 1 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 $3,185. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 George Washington University Veteran Student Life Report

16

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying public admin list, CU Anschutz 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 of the 24,723 students enrolled at CU Anschutz 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 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…

17
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. George Mason University is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 118 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, George Mason University supports 38,541 students, and 2,334 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. On top of their other funding sources, 42 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

18
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 59 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State University were GI Bill® students, of which 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,819. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida State University 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%. 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 Florida State Veteran Student Life Report

19
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U 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. 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 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at U of U]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)

20
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 22 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UND 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 North Dakota supports 13,615 students, and 796 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 395 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,112. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of North Dakota 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 full report on veteran student life at UND]](/colleges/university-of-north-dakota/student-life/veterans/)

21

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 74 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 31,142 students enrolled at UNLV, 1,594 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 929 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,370. 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.

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 UNLV]](/colleges/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/student-life/veterans/)

22

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 41 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,070 students enrolled at VCU, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,085. 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.

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 VCU Veteran Student Life Report

23
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. This large school is located in Auburn, Alabama, and it awarded 60 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Auburn 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 30,737 students enrolled at Auburn University, 1,499 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 746 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,423. On top of their other funding sources, 68 students qualified for 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Auburn Veteran Student Life Report

24
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 23,620 students enrolled at Cornell University, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,780. During this same period, 2 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read More…

25

University of Maryland Global Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. This large school is located in Adelphi, Maryland, and it awarded 77 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMGC, 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 Maryland Global Campus supports 58,526 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $913. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Maryland Global Campus 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%.

Full UMGC Veteran Student Life Report

Rest of the Best 42 in Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
27
28
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
29
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
30
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
31
32
33
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
34
35
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
36
37
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
38
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
39
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
40
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
41
42

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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