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2023 Best Education Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

19 Ranked Colleges
562 Degrees Awarded
$90,265 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 327,871 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 10,730 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,951 and $25,324 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Education for a Doctorate” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate

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

Top 19 Best Education Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 doctorate’s education degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

2

Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois doctor’s degree vets studying education list, SIUC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full SIUC Veteran Student Life Report

3
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lewis University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s education degrees to qualified students.

Lewis also took the #16 spot in our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 6,437 students enrolled at Lewis University, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,559. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full Lewis University Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. 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.

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 Illinois State University Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. 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.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Veteran Student Life Report

6
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. National Louis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 77 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

NLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 7,402 students enrolled at National Louis University, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,078. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at National Louis University]](/colleges/national-louis-university/student-life/veterans/)

7

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC 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 $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The 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 UIC Veteran Student Life Report

8
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago also took the #3 spot in our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. To help with additional expenses, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Chicago 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Loyola University Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

9
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 23 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, DePaul University supports 21,922 students, and 528 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 367 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. To help with additional expenses, 101 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%.

Full DePaul Veteran Student Life Report

10
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 8 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 69 of the 2,200 students enrolled at McKendree University were GI Bill® students, of which 41 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The 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…

11
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12.Of the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The 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 Aurora Veteran Student Life Report

12
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 doctorate’s education degrees to qualified students.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,529 students enrolled at University of St Francis were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,734. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of St Francis 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 full report on veteran student life at University of Saint Francis]](/colleges/university-of-st-francis/student-life/veterans/)

13

Northern Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

NIU also made our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northern Illinois University]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

14
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 8 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

GSU also made our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15.Of the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University, 146 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,291. 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 GSU]](/colleges/governors-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

15

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 14 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WIU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at WIU]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

16
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #10 spot in our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. To help with additional expenses, 11 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…

17
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois doctor’s degree vets studying education list, CSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 2,644 students enrolled at CSU, 94 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,489. 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.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

18
Judson crest
Judson University
Elgin, Illinois

Judson University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. Judson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elgin, Illinois. It awarded 8 doctorate’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Judson also made our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17.Our most recent data shows that 15 of the 1,173 students enrolled at Judson University were GI Bill® students, of which 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,100. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Judson University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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. 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 Judson]](/colleges/judson-university/student-life/veterans/)

19
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Doctorate list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 83 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,085. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Concordia University, Chicago 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…

Notes and References

References

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