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2023 Best Public Administration Colleges for Veterans

275 Ranked Colleges
16,905 Degrees Awarded
$35,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,905 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin” ranking looked at 275 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin”.

Top 25 Best Public Administration Colleges for Veterans

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 185 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ohio State supports 61,369 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Ohio State University - Main Campus]](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 126 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - College Station were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,925. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M University - College Station]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/veterans/)

3
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 164 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 46,287 students enrolled at University of Southern California, 1,311 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,487. In addition to receiving other benefits, 388 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read More…

4

Out of the 275 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #4 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 30,092 students enrolled at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Veteran Student Life Report

5
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Out of the 275 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin that were part of this year’s ranking, Syracuse University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 281 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Syracuse also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Syracuse University supports 21,322 students, and 385 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 250 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,840. To help with additional expenses, 217 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Syracuse University]](/colleges/syracuse-university/student-life/veterans/)

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 48,149 students enrolled at UW Seattle, 1,283 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 769 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,190. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW Seattle 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 undergraduate 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UW Seattle]](/colleges/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/student-life/veterans/)

7

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 31,089 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Columbia, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,384. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Missouri - Columbia]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-columbia/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying public admin list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 752 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. 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.

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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

9
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. This fairly large school is located in Newark, New Jersey, and it awarded 139 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Rutgers Newark also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Rutgers Newark supports 13,231 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $29,673. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

10
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. New York University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 191 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NYU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 52,775 students enrolled at New York University, 1 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 $6,388. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received scholarships 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full NYU Veteran Student Life Report

11
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 65 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 26,744 students enrolled at KU, 70 are 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 $10,917. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Kansas Veteran Student Life Report

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. UK is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 29,986 students enrolled at UK, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read More…

13
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, James Madison University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. JMU is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 21,594 students enrolled at JMU, 842 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 464 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, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. JMU 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%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at James Madison University]](/colleges/james-madison-university/student-life/veterans/)

14

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking, coming in at #14. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 757 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 91%.

Read More…

15
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. George Washington University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 67 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

GWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 27,017 students enrolled at George Washington University, 1 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 $3,185. To help with additional expenses, 0 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 88%. 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 George Washington University Veteran Student Life Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CU Anschutz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 24,723 students enrolled at CU Anschutz were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CU Anschutz offers 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%.

Read More…

17
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 38,541 students enrolled at GMU, 2,334 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,710. On top of their other funding sources, 42 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. GMU 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%. 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%.

Read More…

18
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 59 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State University, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,819. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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. 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Florida State]](/colleges/florida-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

19
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 39 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. U of U offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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%.

Full University of Utah Veteran Student Life Report

20
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying public admin list, UND has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of North Dakota supports 13,615 students, and 796 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 395 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,112. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UND]](/colleges/university-of-north-dakota/student-life/veterans/)

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 74 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,594 of the 31,142 students enrolled at UNLV were GI Bill® students, of which 929 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,370. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNLV 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%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Veteran Student Life Report

22

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 41 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

VCU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 29,070 students enrolled at VCU were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,085. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Virginia Commonwealth University]](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university/student-life/veterans/)

23
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin ranking. Auburn, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

Auburn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Auburn University supports 30,737 students, and 1,499 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 746 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,423. During this same period, 68 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Auburn]](/colleges/auburn-university/student-life/veterans/)

24
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #24, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Cornell also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 23,620 students enrolled at Cornell University, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,780. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Cornell University]](/colleges/cornell-university/student-life/veterans/)

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin list. University of Maryland Global Campus is a large public school situated in Adelphi, Maryland. It awarded 77 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UMGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 4 of the 58,526 students enrolled at UMGC 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 $913. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMGC offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

Rest of the Best 42 in Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
27
28
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
29
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
30
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
31
32
33
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
34
35
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
36
37
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
38
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
39
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
40
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
41
42

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

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