2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
We analyzed 75 colleges and universities across the Rocky Mountains Region to determine which were the best for veterans and active service members. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®, and the school's overall quality.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Top Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region of the U.S.
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found University of Utah to be the best school for veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region in this year’s ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the large public school handed out 8,473 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U, 988 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 723 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,580. To help with additional expenses, 39 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. U of U does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U of U also is in the top 10% of our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region . UCCS is a public institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,618 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 12,380 students enrolled at UCCS, 2,040 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,416 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,383. To help with additional expenses, 21 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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This large public school is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it awarded 7,745 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Colorado State supports 32,428 students, and 1,706 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,344 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,826. To help with additional expenses, 70 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, Colorado State also did well on our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wyoming helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region . UW is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3,143 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 11,829 students enrolled at UW, 485 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 317 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,839. During this same period, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. UW excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Regis University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region . Regis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 2,066 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 6,310 students enrolled at Regis U, 503 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 424 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,923. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Regis U does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Colorado Boulder landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. CU - Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,622 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 37,437 students enrolled at CU - Boulder, 1,325 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,066 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,873. During this same period, 55 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CU - Boulder also is in the top 10% of our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, the large public school awarded 5,396 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 24,723 students enrolled at CU Anschutz, 1,080 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 880 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,008. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CU Anschutz does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CU Anschutz also is in the top 15% of our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Greeley, Colorado, the fairly large public school handed out 3,199 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 11,460 students enrolled at University of Northern Colorado, 369 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 251 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,283. To help with additional expenses, 24 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
In addition to its great veterans ranking, University of Northern Colorado is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 8,094 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 338 of the 36,461 students enrolled at BYU were GI Bill® students, of which 220 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,788. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. BYU did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Idaho State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. ISU is located in Pocatello, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,273 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Our most recent data shows that 426 of the 11,766 students enrolled at ISU were GI Bill® students, of which 269 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,255. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
University of Denver landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. DU is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4,002 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, DU supports 13,856 students, and 531 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 436 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,641. On top of their other funding sources, 125 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, DU also is in the top 10% of our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
Utah State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Logan, Utah, the large public school handed out 6,560 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 524 of the 27,691 students enrolled at USU were GI Bill® students, of which 295 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,961. During this same period, 17 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
University of Idaho landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Moscow, Idaho, the fairly large public school handed out 2,596 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, U of I supports 10,791 students, and 394 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 274 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,314. To help with additional expenses, 19 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #14, Weber State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Ogden, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,614 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 29,596 students enrolled at WSU, 841 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 531 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,539. WSU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Western Governors University landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. WGU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 42,484 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 147,866 students enrolled at WGU, 7,754 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5,005 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,711. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WGU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. WGU not only placed well in our veterans ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Colorado School of Mines came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized public school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 1,581 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 243 of the 6,744 students enrolled at Mines were GI Bill® students, of which 182 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,832. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Mines did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Utah Valley University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #17. Utah Valley University is a large public school located in Orem, Utah that handed out 6,350 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 40,936 students enrolled at UVU, 798 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 498 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,872. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Metropolitan State University of Denver is a fairly large public school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 3,405 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 19,086 students enrolled at MSU Denver, 1,245 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,024 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,756. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Southern Utah University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #19. Southern Utah University is a public institution located in Cedar City, Utah. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,679 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Southern Utah University supports 12,582 students, and 423 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 306 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $27,017. Southern Utah University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Lewis - Clark State College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #20. Lewiston, Idaho is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 870 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,856 students enrolled at Lewis - Clark State College, 160 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,018. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Boise State University landed the #21 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Boise State is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 5,327 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,093 of the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State were GI Bill® students, of which 757 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,230. 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.
Montana State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Bozeman, Montana, and it awarded 3,305 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 16,218 students enrolled at MSU Bozeman, 674 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 432 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,983. To help with additional expenses, 45 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 7,684 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 44,481 students enrolled at BYU - I, 487 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 274 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,141. BYU - I does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Westminster College Utah came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 676 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,849 students enrolled at Westminster College Salt Lake, 78 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 63 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,093. During this same period, 13 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 student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
Arapahoe Community College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large public school is located in Littleton, Colorado, and it awarded 716 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 12,001 students enrolled at Arapahoe Community College, 296 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 $3,776. During this same period, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
View Best Colleges for Veterans Nationwide >
All Majors and Fields of Study >
More Rocky Mountains Rankings
Narrow Colleges by State
Explore the best schools for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.
| State |
|---|
| Wyoming |
| Utah |
| Montana |
| Idaho |
| Colorado |
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%.
- Removed schools reflect instances of new data identified post-publication that warrant removal of a school from this year’s ranking.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.