2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking.
We analyzed 51 colleges and universities across Missouri 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.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in Missouri
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our 2021 rankings named Webster University the best school in Missouri for veterans working on their bachelor’s degree. Webster is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3,758 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 8,197 students enrolled at Webster, 958 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 818 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,137. To help with additional expenses, 16 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Webster does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, Webster also did well on our Best Schools in Missouri list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #2 in Missouri on this year’s best for vets ranking. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 7,938 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 635 of the 31,089 students enrolled at Mizzou were GI Bill® students, of which 394 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,075. To help with additional expenses, 14 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Mizzou does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Mizzou also made our Best Schools in Missouri list, coming in at #4.
Out of the 51 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Lindenwood University landed the #3 spot on the list. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,820 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, Lindenwood University supports 7,382 students, and 430 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 346 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,366. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students qualified for 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 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list means University of Central Missouri is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UCM is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,811 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the 9,959 students enrolled at UCM, 569 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 345 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,983. UCM does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Missouri University of Science and Technology helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in Missouri. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 1,969 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 304 of the 7,642 students enrolled at Missouri University of Science and Technology were GI Bill® students, of which 199 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,638. In addition to receiving other benefits, 13 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 3.1% 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%. Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #3 spot in our Best Schools in Missouri rankings.
Columbia College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. Columbia College Missouri is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3,340 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, Columbia College Missouri supports 8,347 students, and 1,071 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 917 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,711. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #7, William Woods University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. Located in Fulton, Missouri, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 758 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 2,114 students enrolled at William Woods, 58 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,113. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds 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 3.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #8, Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. Maryville U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,438 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 10,979 students enrolled at Maryville U, 428 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 335 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,235. In addition to receiving other benefits, 22 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Maryville U does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Maryville U also is in the top 15% of our Best Schools in Missouri ranking.
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. Missouri State is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4,990 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 23,505 students enrolled at Missouri State, 720 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 378 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,224. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking, coming in at #10. SLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,230 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 12,229 students enrolled at SLU, 316 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 235 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,064. In addition to receiving other benefits, 51 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, SLU also did well on our Best Schools in Missouri list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Park University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Parkville, Missouri, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,543 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Park University supports 10,165 students, and 891 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 752 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,104. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 2,711 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 335 of the 13,874 students enrolled at UMSL were GI Bill® students, of which 212 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,843. 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.
State Technical College of Missouri landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. STC is located in Linn, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 533 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 1,756 students enrolled at STC, 73 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 50 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,400. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, STC also is in the top 15% of our Best Schools in Missouri ranking.
With a ranking of #14, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. This fairly large public school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 3,457 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 16,147 students enrolled at UMKC, 423 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 299 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,175. On top of their other funding sources, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. Located in Maryville, Missouri, the medium-sized public school handed out 2,029 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 160 of the 7,267 students enrolled at Northwest were GI Bill® students, of which 70 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,717. Northwest does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large public school is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and it awarded 2,315 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 397 of the 10,001 students enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,091. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Ranken Technical College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking, coming in at #17. Ranken Technical College is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 417 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 1,823 students enrolled at Ranken Technical College, 184 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 145 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,772. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
In addition to its best for vets ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Ranken Technical College is ranked #2 for overall quality in Missouri.
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5,648 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, WUSTL supports 15,449 students, and 211 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 166 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,790. To help with additional expenses, 86 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. WUSTL did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Schools in Missouri list.
With a ranking of #19, Drury University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 507 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 1,691 students enrolled at Drury University, 242 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 190 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,958. Drury University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a ranking of #20, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. Located in Joplin, Missouri, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,254 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Missouri Southern supports 5,045 students, and 244 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 105 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,641. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Truman State University landed the #21 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. This small public school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 1,365 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 4,655 students enrolled at Truman State, 51 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 37 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,749. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Truman State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Schools in Missouri list.
With a ranking of #22, Missouri Western State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri list. Saint Joseph, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 841 students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 182 of the 4,911 students enrolled at Missouri Western were GI Bill® students, of which 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,187. Missouri Western does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Westminster College Missouri landed the #23 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. Westminster Fulton is located in Fulton, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 209 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 609 students enrolled at Westminster Fulton, 14 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,524. Westminster Fulton does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Southwest Baptist University landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. Southwest Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Bolivar, Missouri that handed out 738 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,039 students enrolled at Southwest Baptist University, 76 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,955. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Avila University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Missouri ranking. Avila is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 413 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 1,414 students enrolled at Avila, 59 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,431. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Avila does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
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Best Colleges in the Plains States Region
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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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