2023 Best Education Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
32
Ranked Colleges
5,633
Degrees Awarded
$52,333
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 327,871 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. 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 Master’s” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s”.
Top 25 Best Education Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
Out of the 32 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 293 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 are 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. 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.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 UIUC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 32 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
UChicago also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3.Among the 17,834 students enrolled at University of Chicago, 241 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 32 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 226 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2020-2021.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. 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 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…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lewis University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 139 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 6,437 students enrolled at Lewis University, 23 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,559. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The 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 Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Loyola University Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Loyola University Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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…
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
SIUC also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24.Of the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Carbondale does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Veteran Student Life Report
DePaul University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 321 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying education list, DePaul has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 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 DePaul Veteran Student Life Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 77 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville supports 12,860 students, and 3 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 $23,082. 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 More…
National Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 789 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying education list, NLU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 7,402 students enrolled at NLU, 15 are 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 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 National Louis University]](/colleges/national-louis-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #10, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 125 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2020-2021.
Illinois State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Illinois State University supports 20,720 students, and 530 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 163 are 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State University offers 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…
University of St Francis ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 275 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13.Of the 3,529 students enrolled at University of St Francis, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. 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 More…
Aurora University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 176 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Aurora 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 Aurora University]](/colleges/aurora-university/student-life/veterans/)
Saint Xavier University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying education list, SXU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 65 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Saint Xavier University were GI Bill® students, of which 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,740. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Xavier University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Saint Xavier University Veteran Student Life Report
North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 35 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central College, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,214. In addition to receiving other benefits, 15 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an 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…
McKendree University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 74 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, McKendree University supports 2,200 students, and 69 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 41 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. 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 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 McKendree University]](/colleges/mckendree-university/student-life/veterans/)
Western Illinois University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 171 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying education list, WIU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WIU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at WIU]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
Northern Illinois University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 328 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NIU]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 208 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Among the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University, 147 are 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. Northeastern Illinois University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report
Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #19. Roosevelt University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Roosevelt also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21.According to our most recent data, Roosevelt University supports 4,680 students, and 95 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 43 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,071. During this same period, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Roosevelt University Veteran Student Life Report
Eastern Illinois University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 204 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
EIU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 184 of the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 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. 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.
Full EIU Veteran Student Life Report
Northwestern University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Northwestern supports 22,603 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 $399. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #22, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 251 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. To help with additional expenses, 11 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 Olivet Nazarene Veteran Student Life Report
Governors State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Of the 4,650 students enrolled at GSU, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,291. 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.
Full GSU Veteran Student Life Report
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #24 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, University of Illinois at Springfield supports 4,146 students, and 214 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 106 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,253. 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 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…
Dominican University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Education for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #25. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 68 masters’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 37 of the 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican University were GI Bill® students, of which 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,038. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Dominican University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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…
college factual
