2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling
18
Ranked Colleges
812
Degrees Awarded
$26,100
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries is the 171st most popular major in the country with 3,116 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, pastoral counseling and specialized ministries graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,592 and had an average of $26,577 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 812 pastoral counseling and specialized ministries graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,631 and $23,258 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in pastoral counseling and specialized ministries. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent pastoral counseling and specialized ministries 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 pastoral counseling and specialized ministries program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling”.
Top 18 Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 54 degrees to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.
IWU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 3,108 students enrolled at Indiana Wesleyan University were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,305. 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%.
Read More…
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 45 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago 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, 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola University Chicago offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling that were part of this year’s ranking, Olivet Nazarene University landed the #3 spot on the list. Olivet Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 38 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying pastoral counseling list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Olivet Nazarene University supports 3,764 students, and 57 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 35 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet Nazarene University 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%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Andrews University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling. Andrews is located in Berrien Springs, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s pastoral counseling degrees to qualified students.
Andrews 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 3,162 students enrolled at Andrews, 40 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,888. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Andrews University]](/colleges/andrews-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling that were part of this year’s ranking, Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the #5 spot on the list. Winona Lake, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s pastoral counseling degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
Grace College 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, Grace College supports 1,901 students, and 27 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 20 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,455. To help with additional expenses, 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 Grace College Veteran Student Life Report
Grace Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking, coming in at #6. Grace is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wyoming, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Grace also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,052 students enrolled at Grace Christian University, 101 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,478. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grace Christian University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Ashland University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking, coming in at #7. Ashland is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Ohio. It awarded 13 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Ashland 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 4,447 students enrolled at Ashland University, 105 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 88 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,554. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 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 Ashland University]](/colleges/ashland-university/student-life/veterans/)
Spring Arbor University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking. Located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Spring Arbor, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,118 students enrolled at Spring Arbor, 87 are 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 $9,673. To help with additional expenses, 4 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Spring Arbor]](/colleges/spring-arbor-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #9, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling list. Trinity International University - Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 21 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
TIU Illinois also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 14 of the 1,454 students enrolled at Trinity International University - Illinois were GI Bill® students, of which 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,061. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Trinity International University - Illinois does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Trinity International University - Illinois Veteran Student Life Report
Cornerstone University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling list. Cornerstone is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 15 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying pastoral counseling list, Cornerstone has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,917 students enrolled at Cornerstone University, 61 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,056. To help with additional expenses, 1 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 More…
Moody Bible Institute came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking. Moody Bible Institute is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 ’s pastoral counseling degrees to qualified students.
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School 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 3 of the 2,870 students enrolled at Moody Bible Institute were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $125. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School]](/colleges/moody-bible-institute/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #12, Ohio Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling list. OCU is a small school located in Circleville, Ohio that handed out 2 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
OCU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 2,186 students enrolled at OCU, 121 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 85 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,824. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. OCU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Ohio Christian University]](/colleges/ohio-christian-university/student-life/veterans/)
Concordia University, Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking, coming in at #13. Concordia University, Ann Arbor is a small school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 4 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Ann Arbor 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 1,165 students enrolled at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, 21 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,534. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Concordia University, Ann Arbor]](/colleges/concordia-university-ann-arbor/student-life/veterans/)
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling list. Lisle, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s pastoral counseling degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Seminary, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 285 students enrolled at Northern Seminary, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,647. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Northern Baptist Theological Seminary]](/colleges/northern-baptist-theological-seminary/student-life/veterans/)
Valor Christian College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking, coming in at #15. Valor Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Canal Winchester, Ohio. It awarded 49 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying pastoral counseling list, Valor Christian College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 289 students enrolled at Valor Christian College, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,943. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Valor Christian College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Valor Christian College]](/colleges/valor-christian-college/student-life/veterans/)
Lincoln Christian University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking. Located in Lincoln, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying pastoral counseling list, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 581 students enrolled at Lincoln Christian University, 13 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,761. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary]](/colleges/lincoln-christian-university/student-life/veterans/)
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s pastoral counseling degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
LSTC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 145 students enrolled at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 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 $8,390. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read More…
McCormick Theological Seminary came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Pastoral Counseling ranking. McCormick Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
McCormick Theological Seminary 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 2 of the 221 students enrolled at McCormick Theological Seminary 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. 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…
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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