2023 Best General Education Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans
23
Ranked Colleges
2,078
Degrees Awarded
$21,881
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. 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 Education for an Associate” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,719 and had an average of $23,394 in loans still to pay off.
At the associate degree level specifically, there were 2,078 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,806 and $19,336 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also offer a lot of support to 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 general education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Education for an Associate
The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree vets studying education.
Top 23 Best General Education Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Campbell University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate. Campbell is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Buies Creek, North Carolina. It awarded 29 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Campbell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Campbell University supports 5,964 students, and 45 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 28 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,969. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Campbell University 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%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified associates’s education students in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 13,282 of the 93,349 students enrolled at Liberty University were GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,888. In addition to receiving other benefits, 386 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Liberty University Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Montana - Western landed the #3 spot on the list. Montana Western is a small public school situated in Dillon, Montana. It awarded 38 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Montana Western also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Montana Western supports 1,334 students, and 51 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 24 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,068. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Montana Western offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full The University of Montana - Western Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Empire State College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. This medium-sized school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 16 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Empire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 279 of the 10,724 students enrolled at SUNY Empire State College were GI Bill® students, of which 177 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,680. 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%.
Full SUNY Empire Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate. This medium-sized school is located in Perkinston, Mississippi, and it awarded 110 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying education list, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 8,677 students enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, 9 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,350. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for 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 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College]](/colleges/mississippi-gulf-coast-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Weber State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate. Weber State University is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
WSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, WSU supports 29,596 students, and 747 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 472 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,815. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 Weber State University]](/colleges/weber-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Montana State University - Billings ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Billings, Montana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying education list, Montana State University - Billings has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 74 of the 4,000 students enrolled at Montana State University - Billings were GI Bill® students, of which 51 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,177. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Montana State University - Billings does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Pima Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking. Pima County Community College District is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pima County Community College District not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Of the 15,544 students enrolled at Pima County Community College District, 853 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 426 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,036. 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.
Full Pima County Community College District Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #9, Lehigh Carbon Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. LCCC is located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
LCCC also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15.Of the 6,205 students enrolled at Lehigh Carbon Community College, 129 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 74 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,230. 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.
Full Lehigh Carbon Community College Veteran Student Life Report
NHTI-Concord’s Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Concord, New Hampshire is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
NHTI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 124 of the 2,945 students enrolled at NHTI-Concord’s Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,607. 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.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full NHTI Veteran Student Life Report
Ivy Tech Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Ivy Tech Community College is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 206 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
Ivy Tech Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Ivy Tech Community College supports 63,809 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,500. 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.
Full Ivy Tech Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Stark State College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking. Located in North Canton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified associates’s education students in 2020-2021.
Stark State College also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 10,772 students enrolled at Stark State College, 298 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,063. 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.
Read More…
Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Sewell, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.
RCSJ did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Among the 6,369 students enrolled at Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus, 102 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,756. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #14, Southwest Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Southwest Baptist University is located in Bolivar, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
Southwest Baptist University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Of the 3,039 students enrolled at Southwest Baptist University, 73 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 27 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,266. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 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…
Bunker Hill Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying education list, BHCC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, BHCC supports 9,924 students, and 355 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 256 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,893. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full BHCC Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #16, Southern Maine Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. South Portland, Maine is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying education list, SMCC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 251 of the 5,789 students enrolled at Southern Maine Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 143 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,882. 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 SMCC]](/colleges/southern-maine-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
El Paso Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking. El Paso Community College is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at El Paso Community College, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 26,034 students enrolled at El Paso Community College, 1,324 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 511 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,459. 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.
Read More…
With a ranking of #18, Brookdale Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Lincroft, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.
Brookdale Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 10,438 students enrolled at Brookdale Community College 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 $1,980. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Brookdale Community College]](/colleges/brookdale-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #19, Northeast Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Northeast Community College is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our associate degree vets studying education list, Northeast has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 5,105 students enrolled at Northeast Community College, 62 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,545. 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Northeast Community College]](/colleges/northeast-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Cumberland University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate list. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified associates’s education students in 2020-2021.
CU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list.Of the 2,704 students enrolled at Cumberland University, 67 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,347. 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.
Full Cumberland University Veteran Student Life Report
Santa Fe Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking. SFCC is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFCC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 62 of the 3,459 students enrolled at Santa Fe Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,075. 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…
Tulsa Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking, coming in at #22. Tulsa Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It awarded 20 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tulsa Community College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 581 of the 15,568 students enrolled at Tulsa Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 176 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,612. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tulsa Community College]](/colleges/tulsa-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Southeastern University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Education for an Associate ranking. SEU is a medium-sized school located in Lakeland, Florida that handed out 1 associates’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
SEU also made our “Best General Education Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13.Of the 9,546 students enrolled at Southeastern University, 7 were 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 $2,265. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southeastern University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SEU]](/colleges/southeastern-university/student-life/veterans/)
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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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.
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