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2023 Best Radio, Television & Digital Communication Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

20 Ranked Colleges
2,247 Degrees Awarded
$29,400 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 17,669 people earned their degree in radio, television and digital communication, making the major the 61st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, radio, television and digital communication graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,775 and had an average of $24,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 2,247 radio, television and digital communication graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,764 and $24,020 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in radio, television and digital communication. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great radio, television and digital communication programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the radio, television and digital communication program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication”.

Top 20 Best Radio, Television & Digital Communication Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 94 diplomas to qualified ’s digital communication students in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M College Station, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,925. To help with additional expenses, 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s digital communication students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, 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 7,566 of the 74,795 students enrolled at ASU - Tempe were GI Bill® students, of which 3,828 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,068. During this same period, 672 students received funds through 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 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%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 233 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

UNT also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, UNT supports 40,953 students, and 2,038 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,138 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNT offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

4
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 213 ’s digital communication degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, 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 2,559 of the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State University were GI Bill® students, of which 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,635. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas State]](/colleges/texas-state-university-san-marcos/student-life/veterans/)

5
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school handed out 112 diplomas to qualified ’s digital communication students in 2020-2021.

Texas Tech 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 1,242 of the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech were GI Bill® students, of which 630 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,480. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 Texas Tech Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 362 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 50,476 students enrolled at UT Austin, 7 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 $2,893. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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…

7

Texas Christian University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s digital communication degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

TCU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Texas Christian University supports 11,379 students, and 520 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 405 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,096. In addition to receiving other benefits, 343 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas Christian University 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at TCU]](/colleges/texas-christian-university/student-life/veterans/)

8
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 125 ’s digital communication degrees to qualified students.

UH also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 47,090 students enrolled at UH, 1,382 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 730 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,264. To help with additional expenses, 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UH Veteran Student Life Report

9

Saint Edward’s University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. Saint Edward’s University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying digital communication list, St. Edward’s 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 170 of the 3,591 students enrolled at St. Edward’s University were GI Bill® students, of which 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $28,263. To help with additional expenses, 79 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive 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

Sam Houston State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 20 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

SHSU 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, SHSU supports 21,912 students, and 1,092 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 496 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,097. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Sam Houston State University]](/colleges/sam-houston-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

11
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. NAU is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

NAU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,566 students enrolled at Northern Arizona University, 1,055 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,378. During this same period, 56 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%.

Read More…

12

With a ranking of #12, Austin Community College District did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. Austin Community College District is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s digital communication degrees to qualified students.

Austin Community College District 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 2,473 of the 39,896 students enrolled at Austin Community College District were GI Bill® students, of which 59 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $735. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Austin Community College District does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Austin Community College District]](/colleges/austin-community-college-district/student-life/veterans/)

13

With a ranking of #13, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized school located in Canyon, Texas that handed out 20 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

West Texas A&M University 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 10,036 students enrolled at West Texas A&M University, 446 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 191 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,617. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. West Texas A&M University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full West Texas A&M University Veteran Student Life Report

14

Dallas Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking, coming in at #14. DBU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 13 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

DBU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,247 students enrolled at Dallas Baptist University, 200 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 150 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,924. On top of their other funding sources, 39 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Dallas Baptist University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Dallas Baptist University Veteran Student Life Report

15

University of the Incarnate Word came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 10 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

UIW 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 7,917 students enrolled at University of the Incarnate Word, 1,174 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 761 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,131. In addition to receiving other benefits, 87 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of the Incarnate Word 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%.

Read More…

16

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 65 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying digital communication list, UTEP has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UTEP supports 24,879 students, and 1,873 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 942 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,990. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UTEP does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

17

Texas A&M University - Commerce came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication ranking. Texas A&M Commerce is located in Commerce, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s digital communication degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M Commerce also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Texas A&M Commerce supports 12,249 students, and 594 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 337 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,401. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

18
RSU crest
Rogers State University
Claremore, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #18, Rogers State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. This small school is located in Claremore, Oklahoma, and it awarded 21 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

RSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 205 of the 3,400 students enrolled at RSU were GI Bill® students, of which 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,667. During this same period, 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%.

Full RSU Veteran Student Life Report

19

With a ranking of #19, Texas Southern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 27 ’s digital communication degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying digital communication list, TSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,015 students enrolled at Texas Southern University, 441 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 179 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,426. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at TSU]](/colleges/texas-southern-university/student-life/veterans/)

20

With a ranking of #20, Abilene Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Digital Communication list. Abilene, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s digital communication degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Abilene Christian, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 5,291 students enrolled at Abilene Christian, 269 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 160 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,303. On top of their other funding sources, 72 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Abilene Christian 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…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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