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2023 Best Social Work Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

15 Ranked Colleges
1,712 Degrees Awarded
$42,130 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master's

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 in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s” ranking.

Social Work is the 13th most popular major in the country with 58,326 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $37,651 and had an average of $26,679 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,720 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,486 and $25,281 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work 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 social work program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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More Social Work Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s”.

Top 15 Best Social Work Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIUC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 UIUC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 166 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1.Among the 17,834 students enrolled at University of Chicago, 241 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,948. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 100%.

Read More…

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 248 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UIC also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5.Among the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago, 1 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 $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Illinois at Chicago offers 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 UIC Veteran Student Life Report

4
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Aurora University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 478 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4.Among the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University, 3 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 $6,999. During this same period, 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 Aurora Veteran Student Life Report

5
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 253 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying social work list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Loyola University Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola University Chicago 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

6

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

SIUE also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville supports 12,860 students, and 3 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 $23,082. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

7

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 48 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying social work list, SIUC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. 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.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Veteran Student Life Report

8
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s ranking. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 22 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,529 students enrolled at University of Saint Francis were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,734. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Francis Veteran Student Life Report

9

Illinois State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 28 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. On top of their other funding sources, 0 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

10
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 students received funds 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%.

Full DePaul University Veteran Student Life Report

11
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 45 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying social work list, GSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University, 146 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,291. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships 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 GSU]](/colleges/governors-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

12

With a ranking of #12, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 61 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14.Our most recent data shows that 147 of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northeastern Illinois University]](/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

13
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Dominican University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying social work list, Dominican U has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican University, 37 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,038. On top of their other funding sources, 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%. 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 More…

14
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s list. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 22 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSU also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15.Of the 2,644 students enrolled at CSU, 94 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,489. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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.

Full CSU Veteran Student Life Report

15
The Erikson Institute crest
Erikson Institute
Chicago, Illinois
1 GI Bill® Students**
#9 in overall quality

Erikson Institute landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 39 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The Erikson Institute also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 457 students enrolled at Erikson Institute, 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The Erikson Institute]](/colleges/erikson-institute/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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