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2023 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

11 Ranked Colleges
1,590 Degrees Awarded
$26,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Mental Health Counseling/Counselor is the 118th most popular major in the country with 7,609 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,590 mental health counseling/counselor graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mental health counseling/counselor. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great mental health counseling/counselor programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the mental health counseling/counselor program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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More Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The mental health counseling/counselor school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor”.

Top 11 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s mental health counseling/counselor students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities 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 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 752 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 Minnesota - Twin Cities]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/student-life/veterans/)

2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, 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, University of Iowa supports 30,318 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Iowa Veteran Student Life Report

3
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bethel University Minnesota. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 21 ’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bethel University Minnesota, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,814 students enrolled at Bethel University Minnesota, 116 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 72 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,703. To help with additional expenses, 18 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bethel University Minnesota 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 85%. 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…

4
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor list. University of Mary is a small school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 29 ’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.

UMary also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 3,799 students enrolled at UMary, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,000. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMary 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 full report on veteran student life at UMary]](/colleges/university-of-mary/student-life/veterans/)

5
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lindenwood University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Charles, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying mental health counseling/counselor list, Lindenwood University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 7,382 students enrolled at Lindenwood University, 31 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,583. On top of their other funding sources, 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%.

Full Lindenwood University Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 31 ’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 14,761 students enrolled at Minnesota State Mankato, 331 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 147 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. 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.

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 Minnesota State University - Mankato Veteran Student Life Report

7
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s mental health counseling/counselor students in 2020-2021.

Winona State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 142 of the 7,106 students enrolled at Winona State were GI Bill® students, of which 69 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,645. 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.

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 Winona State University]](/colleges/winona-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

8
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor ranking. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 880 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Capella University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 2,589 of the 38,930 students enrolled at Capella University were GI Bill® students, of which 1,685 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,867. To help with additional expenses, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Capella University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

9

University of Northern Iowa ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor list. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying mental health counseling/counselor list, UNI has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 251 of the 9,507 students enrolled at UNI were GI Bill® students, of which 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 University of Northern Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/student-life/veterans/)

10
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Walden University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor ranking. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 422 ’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Walden University, 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, Walden University supports 49,695 students, and 2,721 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,568 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,240. During this same period, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Walden University offers 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 Walden University]](/colleges/walden-university/student-life/veterans/)

11

Emporia State University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor list. Located in Emporia, Kansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s mental health counseling/counselor students in 2020-2021.

ESU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 127 of the 5,828 students enrolled at ESU were GI Bill® students, of which 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. ESU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Emporia State University Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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