2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy
12
Ranked Colleges
249
Degrees Awarded
$36,300
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Astronomy & Astrophysics is the 219th most popular major in the country with 1,375 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,221 and had an average of $24,484 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 249 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $19,258 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent astronomy and astrophysics programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the astronomy and astrophysics program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy”.
Top 12 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, 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, Ohio State University - Main Campus supports 61,369 students, and 2 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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Ohio State]](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 570 of the 47,907 students enrolled at U-M were GI Bill® students, of which 325 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $27,058. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Veteran Student Life Report
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 #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 full report on veteran student life at UIUC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 30 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 44,640 students enrolled at UW - 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW - Madison offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 UW - Madison Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 17,834 students enrolled at University of Chicago, 241 were 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Full UChicago Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 14 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, 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, IU Bloomington supports 43,064 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full IU Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
UC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 909 of the 40,826 students enrolled at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus were GI Bill® students, of which 498 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,806. To help with additional expenses, 15 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy ranking, coming in at #8. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 49,695 students enrolled at Michigan State, 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 $14,686. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Michigan State University]](/colleges/michigan-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Wayne State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy ranking. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, 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, Wayne State University supports 26,241 students, and 470 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 244 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,101. 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.
Read More…
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying astronomy list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 83 of the 6,325 students enrolled at Illinois Institute of Technology were GI Bill® students, of which 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,905. During this same period, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois Institute of Technology does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 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 Illinois Tech]](/colleges/illinois-institute-of-technology/student-life/veterans/)
Valparaiso University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy list. Valparaiso University is located in Valparaiso, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying astronomy list, Valpo has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 39 of the 3,122 students enrolled at Valparaiso University were GI Bill® students, of which 26 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,678. On top of their other funding sources, 16 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 More…
With a ranking of #12, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Astronomy list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern, 1 are 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 $399. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Northwestern University]](/colleges/northwestern-university/student-life/veterans/)
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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