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2023 Best Special Education Colleges for Veterans

594 Ranked Colleges
36,792 Degrees Awarded
$35,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 36,792 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,679 and had an average of $24,977 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed” ranking analyzed 594 colleges that offered a degree in special education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality special education programs as well as strong veteran support.

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

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Special Ed Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Special Ed

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed”.

Top 25 Best Special Education Colleges for Veterans

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 87 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 53,372 students enrolled at UF, 1 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. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UF does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read More…

2
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fordham University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Fordham U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 16,364 students enrolled at Fordham U, 1 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. Fordham U 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

3
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Syracuse University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying special ed list, Syracuse has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 385 of the 21,322 students enrolled at Syracuse University were GI Bill® students, of which 250 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,840. To help with additional expenses, 217 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Syracuse University]](/colleges/syracuse-university/student-life/veterans/)

4
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kentucky. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. UK is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 51 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,986 students enrolled at University of Kentucky, 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 funds through 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UK]](/colleges/university-of-kentucky/student-life/veterans/)

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 69 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 44,640 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Madison, 4 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. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Wisconsin - Madison]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison/student-life/veterans/)

6
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UA, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 37,840 students enrolled at The University of Alabama, 2,081 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,975. On top of their other funding sources, 357 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

7
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. George Mason University is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 397 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 38,541 students enrolled at George Mason University, 2,334 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. In addition to receiving other benefits, 42 students received funds 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at GMU]](/colleges/george-mason-university/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Dayton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

UDayton also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, UDayton supports 11,650 students, and 197 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 142 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,930. In addition to receiving other benefits, 40 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UDayton 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Dayton Veteran Student Life Report

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying special ed list, UW Seattle 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 Washington - Seattle Campus supports 48,149 students, and 1,283 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 769 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,190. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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…

10
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #10, Washington State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Wazzu also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Wazzu supports 31,159 students, and 83 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 53 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,702. To help with additional expenses, 1 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…

11
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #11, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, 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, Loyola Marymount University supports 9,686 students, and 15 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,741. During this same period, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Marymount 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read More…

12
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. East Carolina University is a public institution located in Greenville, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 28,798 students enrolled at ECU, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,409. 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 More…

13

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

UIUC 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 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 full report on veteran student life at UIUC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

14
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 27 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 46,655 students enrolled at Purdue 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 $7,765. On top of their other funding sources, 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

15

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 144 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe 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, Arizona State University - Tempe supports 74,795 students, and 7,566 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3,828 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,068. On top of their other funding sources, 672 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

16

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking, coming in at #16. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 214 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State 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, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. 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%.

Full Illinois State Veteran Student Life Report

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #17, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Florida State University supports 43,569 students, and 8 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,819. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Florida State]](/colleges/florida-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

18
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking, coming in at #18. George Washington University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 62 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

GWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, George Washington University supports 27,017 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,185. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 GWU Veteran Student Life Report

19
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Auburn is a large public school situated in Auburn, Alabama. It awarded 90 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Auburn also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 30,737 students enrolled at Auburn University, 1,499 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 746 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,423. During this same period, 68 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Auburn University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Auburn University Veteran Student Life Report

20
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

KU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,744 students enrolled at University of Kansas, 70 are 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 $10,917. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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…

21

University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UH Manoa also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 18,025 students enrolled at UH Manoa, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,153. 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 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 UH Manoa]](/colleges/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/student-life/veterans/)

21
Brandman crest
Brandman University
Irvine, California

Brandman University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. Brandman University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 103 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Brandman also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 10,986 students enrolled at Brandman University, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,406. 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 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 Brandman]](/colleges/brandman-university-part-of-the-chapman-university-system/student-life/veterans/)

23
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Pace University - New York ranked #23 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 222 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Pace University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 12,835 students enrolled at Pace University - New York, 11 are 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 $19,912. During this same period, 5 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 Pace University Veteran Student Life Report

24
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 101 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying special ed list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Eastern Michigan supports 16,294 students, and 486 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 265 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,462. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern Michigan offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Eastern Michigan Veteran Student Life Report

25
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington

Gonzaga University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed ranking, coming in at #25. Gonzaga University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Spokane, Washington. It awarded 22 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gonzaga, 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 270 of the 7,295 students enrolled at Gonzaga were GI Bill® students, of which 231 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,276. To help with additional expenses, 73 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Gonzaga 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Gonzaga University]](/colleges/gonzaga-university/student-life/veterans/)

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
28
29
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
30
31
32
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
33
34
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri
35
Saint Martin's crest
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, Washington
36
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
37
38
39
40
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
41
42
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland
43
44
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
45
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois
46
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri
47
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
48
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio
49
50
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Veteran Friendly for Special Ed

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
52West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
53National UniversityLa Jolla, CA
54University of Wisconsin - Stevens PointStevens Point, WI
55Queens CollegeQueens, NY
56Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
57Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
58Bowling Green State University - Main CampusBowling Green, OH
59Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
60Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
61University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
62University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
63Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
64Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersville, PA
65Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
RankCollegeLocation
66Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
67Indiana Wesleyan UniversityMarion, IN
68Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH
68Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
70Manhattan CollegeRiverdale, NY
71Bellarmine UniversityLouisville, KY
72University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
73Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA
74University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
75Nazareth CollegeRochester, NY
76Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
77Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
78Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
79University of RedlandsRedlands, CA
80Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT
81University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
82Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL
82Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
84Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
85Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
86Marymount UniversityArlington, VA
87Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
88Cabrini UniversityRadnor, PA
89Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
90University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
RankCollegeLocation
90University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL

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Notes and References

References

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