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2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

12 Ranked Colleges
509 Degrees Awarded
$29,796 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 15,832 people earned their degree in theological and ministerial studies, making the major the 63rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, theological and ministerial studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,590 and had an average of $26,272 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,366 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,653 and $21,394 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 509 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in theological and ministerial studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality theological and ministerial studies programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the theological and ministerial studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The theology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s”.

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. 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 Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying theology.

Top 12 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 47 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1.Of the 12,809 students enrolled at Notre Dame, 11 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,670. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. 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 97%.

Full University of Notre Dame Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Franciscan University of Steubenville. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Franciscan U, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 90 of the 3,304 students enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville were GI Bill® students, of which 56 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,993. On top of their other funding sources, 17 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3.Among the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 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. To help with additional expenses, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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%.

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

4

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2020-2021.

IWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, IWU supports 3,108 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,305. 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 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 Indiana Wesleyan University Veteran Student Life Report

5
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’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 bachelors’s theology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola University Chicago, 261 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were 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.

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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Loyola University Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

6
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4.According to our most recent data, Olivet Nazarene supports 3,764 students, and 57 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 35 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. During this same period, 11 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…

7
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Andrews University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Andrews, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 3,162 students enrolled at Andrews University, 40 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,888. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Andrews University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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. 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 Andrews University Veteran Student Life Report

8

Concordia University, Wisconsin landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Mequon, Wisconsin, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Wisconsin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 143 of the 5,492 students enrolled at Concordia University, Wisconsin were GI Bill® students, of which 84 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,821. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 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…

9
Cornerstone crest
Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cornerstone University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s list. Cornerstone University is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying theology list, Cornerstone has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 1,917 students enrolled at Cornerstone, 61 are 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. During this same period, 1 students received scholarships through 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cornerstone University Veteran Student Life Report

10
OCU crest
Ohio Christian University
Circleville, Ohio

Ohio Christian University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s ranking. Circleville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theology degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

OCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, OCU supports 2,186 students, and 121 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 85 are 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, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. OCU offers 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 Ohio Christian University Veteran Student Life Report

11
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School crest
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois

Moody Bible Institute ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s list. Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 128 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2.Of the 2,870 students enrolled at Moody Bible Institute, 3 were 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 $125. During this same period, 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%.

Full Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School Veteran Student Life Report

12

Lincoln Christian University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Lincoln, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Lincoln Christian College and Seminary also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7.According to our most recent data, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary supports 581 students, and 13 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,761. To help with additional expenses, 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%.

Full Lincoln Christian University Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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