2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region
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 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 370 colleges and universities across the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which were the best for veterans and active service members. To come up with this ranking, we look at more than 20 factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®, whether or not the school has a student's veteran organization, and the school's overall quality.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found Excelsior University to be the best school for veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region in this year’s ranking. Located in Albany, New York, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 5,019 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Excelsior University supports 21,974 students, and 2,826 of those are GI Bill® students. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,792. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Excelsior University also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Rutgers University - New Brunswick helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region . Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the large public school awarded 13,409 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 50,411 students enrolled at Rutgers New Brunswick, 442 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 256 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,136. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Rutgers New Brunswick does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Rutgers New Brunswick excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region list means Towson University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This large public school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 5,726 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Towson supports 21,917 students, and 671 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 475 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,030. During this same period, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Towson does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. Towson also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region list means Rowan University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Rowan University is a fairly large public school located in Glassboro, New Jersey that handed out 4,993 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 19,678 students enrolled at Rowan, 383 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 192 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,018. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Duquesne University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region . Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2,739 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 8,830 students enrolled at Duquesne, 211 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 164 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,088. During this same period, 46 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Duquesne 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 86%.
Drexel University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 6,395 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 23,589 students enrolled at Drexel, 745 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 578 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,336. To help with additional expenses, 255 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
George Washington University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 9,358 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,274 of the 27,017 students enrolled at GWU were GI Bill® students, of which 1,076 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,151. On top of their other funding sources, 349 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, GWU also did well on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
California University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Cal U is a public institution located in California, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,997 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Cal U supports 6,885 students, and 324 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 233 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,999. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Saint Joseph’s University landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. St. Joe’s is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2,578 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 6,779 students enrolled at St. Joe’s, 118 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,315. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. St. Joe’s 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 89%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, St. Joe’s is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Syracuse University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Syracuse, New York, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 7,498 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Syracuse supports 21,322 students, and 596 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 573 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,100. On top of their other funding sources, 179 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, Syracuse is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Pennsylvania State University - University Park landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,714. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read full report on Pennsylvania State University - University Park
Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Rochester, New York, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4,040 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 16,158 students enrolled at RIT, 277 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 229 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,837. On top of their other funding sources, 101 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, RIT also is in the top 20% of our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
Georgetown University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7,451 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 19,371 students enrolled at Georgetown, 870 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 809 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,728. On top of their other funding sources, 254 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Georgetown did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the fairly large public school awarded 4,463 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 391 of the 17,719 students enrolled at WCUPA were GI Bill® students, of which 216 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,868. During this same period, 11 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, WCUPA also did well on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #15. UMGC is a large public school situated in Adelphi, Maryland. It awarded 13,002 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 58,526 students enrolled at UMGC, 13,366 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12,647 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,330. On top of their other funding sources, 3361 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, UMGC also did well on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
New Jersey Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Newark, New Jersey, the fairly large public school handed out 2,783 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 11,652 students enrolled at NJIT, 142 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,685. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. NJIT excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12,365 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 896 of the 40,709 students enrolled at UMCP were GI Bill® students, of which 672 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,240. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UMCP excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Kean University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Kean is a fairly large public school situated in Union, New Jersey. It awarded 3,380 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 14,064 students enrolled at Kean, 244 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 134 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,953. Kean does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
University of Baltimore landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. UB is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,246 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 210 of the 4,169 students enrolled at UB were GI Bill® students, of which 166 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,860. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Robert Morris University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 1,268 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, RMU supports 4,134 students, and 211 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 182 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,345. On top of their other funding sources, 74 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
D’Youville College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 868 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 2,785 students enrolled at D’Youville College, 148 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 84 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,082. On top of their other funding sources, 23 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #22, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,265 students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Johns Hopkins supports 28,890 students, and 583 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 556 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,073. In addition to receiving other benefits, 49 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Johns Hopkins did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
SUNY Empire State College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. SUNY Empire is located in Saratoga Springs, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,729 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 10,724 students enrolled at SUNY Empire, 333 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 236 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,080. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Mount St Mary’s University landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and it awarded 632 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 165 of the 2,560 students enrolled at The Mount were GI Bill® students, of which 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,025. To help with additional expenses, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Pace University - New York did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #25. Pace University is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3,697 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Our most recent data shows that 353 of the 12,835 students enrolled at Pace University were GI Bill® students, of which 345 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,459. On top of their other funding sources, 195 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Pace University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Rest of the Best 50 Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville, PA |
| 52 | Frederick Community College | Frederick, MD |
| 53 | Niagara University | Niagara University, NY |
| 54 | Monmouth University | West Long Branch, NJ |
| 55 | Clarion University of Pennsylvania | Clarion, PA |
| 56 | SUNY Canton | Canton, NY |
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for Veterans ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
| 58 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | Baltimore, MD |
| 59 | Rutgers University - Camden | Camden, NJ |
| 60 | Farmingdale State College | Farmingdale, NY |
| 61 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | Slippery Rock, PA |
| 62 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
| 63 | Clarkson University | Potsdam, NY |
| 64 | Salisbury University | Salisbury, MD |
| 65 | Nazareth College | Rochester, NY |
| 66 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | Mahwah, NJ |
| 67 | DeSales University | Center Valley, PA |
| 68 | Immaculata University | Immaculata, PA |
| 69 | Roberts Wesleyan College | Rochester, NY |
| 70 | La Roche University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 71 | Manhattan College | Riverdale, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | University at Albany | Albany, NY |
| 73 | Marist College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 74 | The College at Brockport | Brockport, NY |
| 75 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
More Middle Atlantic Rankings
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| State |
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| Pennsylvania |
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| District of Columbia |
| Delaware |
Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 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)
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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