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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s

21 Ranked Colleges
872 Degrees Awarded
$50,490 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,304 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,943 and $34,585 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and a strong support system for 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Public Admin for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin.

Top 21 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 93 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 31,089 students enrolled at Mizzou, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. 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 89%, 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 University of Missouri - Columbia]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-columbia/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 52,017 students enrolled at UMN 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMN Twin Cities 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UMN Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,917. 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 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

4
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 13,615 students enrolled at UND, 796 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 395 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,112. 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 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…

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska at Omaha. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 50 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 15,892 students enrolled at UNOMAHA, 928 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 488 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,364. To help with additional expenses, 75 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 University of Nebraska at Omaha Veteran Student Life Report

6
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

With a ranking of #6, Park University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 40 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Park University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 10,165 students enrolled at Park University, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,501. 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.

Full Park University Veteran Student Life Report

7
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #7, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Vermillion, South Dakota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 9,459 students enrolled at University of South Dakota, 332 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 180 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,423. During this same period, 0 students received funds through 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 USD]](/colleges/university-of-south-dakota/student-life/veterans/)

8
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Charles, Missouri, and it awarded 13 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 31 of the 7,382 students enrolled at Lindenwood University were GI Bill® students, of which 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,583. On top of their other funding sources, 1 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 Lindenwood University]](/colleges/lindenwood-university/student-life/veterans/)

9
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Hamline University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Hamline has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 98 of the 3,113 students enrolled at Hamline University were GI Bill® students, of which 63 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,455. During this same period, 17 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%.

Read More…

10

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UMSL also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15.Our most recent data shows that 314 of the 13,874 students enrolled at UMSL were GI Bill® students, of which 228 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,355. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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 University of Missouri - St Louis]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-st-louis/student-life/veterans/)

11
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 11,841 students enrolled at Saint Cloud State University, 291 are 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Cloud 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%.

Full St. Cloud State University Veteran Student Life Report

12

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Missouri State is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, Missouri State University - Springfield supports 23,505 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 $2,830. To help with additional expenses, 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 University - Springfield]](/colleges/missouri-state-university-springfield/student-life/veterans/)

13
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #13, Drake University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

Drake also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11.According to our most recent data, Drake supports 4,774 students, and 100 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 61 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,780. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, 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…

14

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 33 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Missouri - Kansas City supports 16,147 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. 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 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 Missouri - Kansas City Veteran Student Life Report

15
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Bellevue, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

Bellevue University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, Bellevue University supports 13,059 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. Bellevue University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

16

With a ranking of #16, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 577 of the 14,999 students enrolled at Wichita State University were GI Bill® students, of which 385 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,488. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds 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 WSU]](/colleges/wichita-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

17
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 69 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Capella University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 2,589 of the 38,930 students enrolled at Capella University were GI Bill® students, of which 1,685 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,867. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Capella University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Capella University Veteran Student Life Report

18

Upper Iowa University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Located in Fayette, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, UIU supports 3,610 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,399. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

19
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 11 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Southeast Missouri State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 344 of the 10,001 students enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University were GI Bill® students, of which 143 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,052. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

20
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Metro State also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19.Among the 7,552 students enrolled at Metro State, 257 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 157 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,216. 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%.

Read More…

21
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Walden University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large private for-profit school awarded 152 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Walden University also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5.Among the 49,695 students enrolled at Walden University, 2,721 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,568 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,240. On top of their other funding sources, 3 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Walden University]](/colleges/walden-university/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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