2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s
19
Ranked Colleges
1,494
Degrees Awarded
$44,858
Avg Salary
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 Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s” ranking.
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.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in theological and ministerial studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent theological and ministerial studies programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the theological and ministerial studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s”.
Top 19 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 72 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1.Among the 12,809 students enrolled at University of Notre Dame, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,670. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. 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 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 76 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.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. To help with additional expenses, 58 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%. 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.
Read More…
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Franciscan University of Steubenville landed the #3 spot on the list. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 83 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying theology list, Franciscan U has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 3,304 students enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville, 90 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. During this same period, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Franciscan University of Steubenville 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Franciscan University of Steubenville Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ashland University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s list. Located in Ashland, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s theology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ashland, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ashland supports 4,447 students, and 105 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 88 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,554. During this same period, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ashland 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…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Andrews University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s. Andrews is a small school located in Berrien Springs, Michigan that handed out 118 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Andrews also took the #5 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 40 of the 3,162 students enrolled at Andrews were GI Bill® students, of which 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. 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.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Andrews University]](/colleges/andrews-university/student-life/veterans/)
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene also took the # spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.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. Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene Veteran Student Life Report
Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Deerfield, Illinois, and it awarded 90 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 1,454 students enrolled at TIU Illinois, 14 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,061. 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 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 Trinity International University - Illinois]](/colleges/trinity-international-university-illinois/student-life/veterans/)
Cornerstone University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s list. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified masters’s theology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying theology list, Cornerstone has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Cornerstone University]](/colleges/cornerstone-university/student-life/veterans/)
Ohio Christian University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. OCU is a small school located in Circleville, Ohio that handed out 68 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
OCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 2,186 students enrolled at Ohio Christian University, 121 were 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. 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 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 More…
Moody Bible Institute landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. Moody Bible Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 72 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School also took the #3 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.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. During this same period, 0 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Moody Bible Institute]](/colleges/moody-bible-institute/student-life/veterans/)
Concordia Theological Seminary came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 34 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia Theological Seminary, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 295 students enrolled at Concordia Theological Seminary, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,992. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through 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. 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 Concordia Theological Seminary]](/colleges/concordia-theological-seminary/student-life/veterans/)
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 21 masters’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 56 of the 2,908 students enrolled at Wheaton College Illinois were GI Bill® students, of which 45 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,675. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Wheaton College Illinois Veteran Student Life Report
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Northern Baptist Theological Seminary is located in Lisle, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s theology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Seminary, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Northern Seminary supports 285 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 $6,647. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Northern Seminary Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #14, Meadville Lombard Theological School did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s list. Meadville Lombard Theological School is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 masters’s theology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying theology list, Meadville Lombard Theological School has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 83 students enrolled at Meadville Lombard Theological School, 4 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,316. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. 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.
Full Meadville Lombard Theological School Veteran Student Life Report
Lincoln Christian University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s list. Located in Lincoln, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 degrees to qualified masters’s theology students in 2020-2021.
Lincoln Christian College and Seminary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 13 of the 581 students enrolled at Lincoln Christian University were GI Bill® students, of which 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. During this same period, 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%.
Full Lincoln Christian College and Seminary Veteran Student Life Report
Christian Theological Seminary came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified masters’s theology students in 2020-2021.
Christian Theological Seminary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Christian Theological Seminary supports 156 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,935. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Christian Theological Seminary Veteran Student Life Report
Payne Theological Seminary came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. Wilberforce, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
Payne Theological Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 177 students enrolled at Payne Theological Seminary, 5 were 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 $4,784. 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.
Full Payne Theological Seminary Veteran Student Life Report
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
LSTC also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,390. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through 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 full report on veteran student life at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago]](/colleges/lutheran-school-of-theology-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
McCormick Theological Seminary ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Master’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified masters’s theology students in 2020-2021.
McCormick Theological Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” 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.
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%. 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.
Read More…
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jonund.
college factual
