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2023 Best Curriculum & Instruction Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

18 Ranked Colleges
1,019 Degrees Awarded
$27,600 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum

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 in Illinois for Curriculum” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Curriculum & Instruction is the 55th most popular major in the country with 19,832 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, curriculum and instruction graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $50,993 and had an average of $28,557 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,019 curriculum and instruction graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,808 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in curriculum and instruction. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality curriculum and instruction programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the curriculum and instruction program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Curriculum & Instruction Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum”.

Top 18 Best Curriculum & Instruction Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, 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, UIUC supports 52,679 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are 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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

SIUC 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 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUC]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)

3
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lewis University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. Lewis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 21 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

Lewis 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, Lewis University supports 6,437 students, and 23 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 16 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,559. 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%.

Full Lewis Veteran Student Life Report

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #4 spot on the list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

DePaul 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 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul does offer 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%.

Full DePaul University Veteran Student Life Report

5
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National Louis University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 222 students in 2020-2021.

NLU 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 7,402 students enrolled at NLU, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,078. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full National Louis University Veteran Student Life Report

6
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying curriculum list, University of Saint Francis 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 Saint Francis supports 3,529 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,734. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Saint Francis does offer 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 full report on veteran student life at University of St Francis]](/colleges/university-of-st-francis/student-life/veterans/)

7

Illinois State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 51 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State University, 530 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. 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 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…

8
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying curriculum list, McKendree has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,200 students enrolled at McKendree University, 69 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 41 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,814. 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 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…

9
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s curriculum students in 2020-2021.

Aurora also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Aurora University does offer 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…

10

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, 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 3 of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE 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 $23,082. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

11

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

UIC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

12
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. North Central is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 13 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

North Central 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 2,832 students enrolled at North Central, 46 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. To help with additional expenses, 15 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 North Central Veteran Student Life Report

13

With a ranking of #13, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 25 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, 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, Northern Illinois University supports 16,769 students, and 480 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 207 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

14
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 120 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene 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 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene, 57 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. To help with additional expenses, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet Nazarene 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%.

Read More…

15
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying curriculum list, EIU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,626 students enrolled at EIU, 184 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. 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.

Read More…

16

With a ranking of #16, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 5 ’s curriculum degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University, 147 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,460. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds 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 Northeastern Illinois University]](/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

17
Rockford crest
Rockford University
Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking, coming in at #17. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s curriculum degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

Rockford also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 27 of the 1,272 students enrolled at Rockford were GI Bill® students, of which 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,705. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

18
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Curriculum ranking, coming in at #18. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 ’s curriculum degrees to qualified students.

Concordia University, Chicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Concordia University, Chicago supports 6,491 students, and 134 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. To help with additional expenses, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Concordia University, Chicago does offer 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 Concordia University, Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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