2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology
14
Ranked Colleges
377
Degrees Awarded
$26,900
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Plains States Region for Ecology” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 7,247 people earned their degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,579 and had an average of $23,052 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 377 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,423 and $26,452 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality ecology, evolution and systematics biology programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the ecology, evolution and systematics biology program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region vets studying ecology.
Top 14 Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 89 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities 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, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities supports 52,017 students, and 752 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 436 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities does offer 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
KU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 70 of the 26,744 students enrolled at KU were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,917. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Kansas Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
Iowa 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 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa, 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Iowa 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 88%. 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 University of Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State, 814 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,933. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Iowa State University Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Louis University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 14 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
SLU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 12,229 students enrolled at Saint Louis University, 5 are 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 $25,162. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Louis University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 Saint Louis University]](/colleges/saint-louis-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
Washington University in St Louis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 15 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 15,449 students enrolled at WUSTL, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,972. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. 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 Washington University in St Louis]](/colleges/washington-university-in-st-louis/student-life/veterans/)
North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology list. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 9 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, 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 4 of the 12,846 students enrolled at North Dakota State University were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. 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%.
Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report
University of Northern Iowa ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, UNI supports 9,507 students, and 251 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 99 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. To help with additional expenses, 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 UNI]](/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology ranking, coming in at #9. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 15 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 11,841 students enrolled at St. Cloud State University, 291 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,067. 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 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…
Drury University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
Drury University 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 1,691 students enrolled at Drury University, 6 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,355. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Drury University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Drury University]](/colleges/drury-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #11, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology list. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 6 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying ecology list, MSU Moorhead has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 99 of the 5,547 students enrolled at Minnesota State University - Moorhead were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,920. 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.
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…
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology list. Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 7 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest 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 7,267 students enrolled at Northwest Missouri State University, 168 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,773. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northwest Missouri State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Northwest Missouri State University Veteran Student Life Report
Bemidji State University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology list. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 19 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying ecology list, Bemidji State University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 128 of the 4,577 students enrolled at Bemidji State University were GI Bill® students, of which 75 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,703. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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%.
Read More…
Friends University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecology ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 5 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying ecology list, Friends University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,671 students enrolled at Friends University, 66 were 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 $7,198. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Friends University Veteran Student Life Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
college factual
