2023 Best Public Policy Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
9
Ranked Colleges
144
Degrees Awarded
$29,900
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 6,430 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $21,866 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 144 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,368 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy” ranking analyzed 9 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public policy 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 public policy program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region vets studying public policy.
Top 9 Best Public Policy Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 71 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities 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 Minnesota - Twin Cities supports 52,017 students, and 752 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 436 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,020. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UMN Twin Cities]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 1 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
KU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 26,744 students enrolled at KU, 70 are 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Louis University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy. Saint Louis University is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 1 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
SLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 12,229 students enrolled at SLU, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $25,162. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SLU 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy list. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying public policy list, WUSTL has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Washington University in St Louis supports 15,449 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,972. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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%.
Full Washington University in St Louis Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UNI supports 9,507 students, and 251 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 99 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. 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 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Northern Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
Capella University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy ranking. Capella University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Capella University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 38,930 students enrolled at Capella University, 2,589 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,685 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,867. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Missouri Southern State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy ranking. Missouri Southern State University is a small public school situated in Joplin, Missouri. It awarded 5 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Missouri Southern also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 5,045 students enrolled at Missouri Southern State University, 210 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,255. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Missouri Southern State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Missouri Southern State University]](/colleges/missouri-southern-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Walden University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy ranking, coming in at #8. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Walden University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,240. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Walden 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…
St Catherine University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Policy ranking. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying public policy list, St. Kate’s has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,277 students enrolled at St. Kate’s, 55 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 26 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,157. 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%.
Full St. Kate’s Veteran Student Life Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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