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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development

20 Ranked Colleges
1,633 Degrees Awarded
$28,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development

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

Child Development & Psychology is the 57th most popular major in the country with 17,542 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, child development and psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,186 and had an average of $22,623 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,633 child development and psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,872 and $22,258 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in child development and psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great child development and psychology programs and a strong support system for 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 child development and psychology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region vets studying child development.

Top 20 Best Child Development & Psychology Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 58 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying child development list, KU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,744 students enrolled at KU, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,917. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. KU 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full KU Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying child development list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 752 of the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities were GI Bill® students, of which 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,020. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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 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…

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 20 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying child development list, Mizzou has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 31,089 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Columbia, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,384. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Mizzou Veteran Student Life Report

4
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 257 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Park 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 5 of the 10,165 students enrolled at Park University were GI Bill® students, of which 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,501. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

5
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Louis University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

SLU 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, Saint Louis University supports 12,229 students, and 5 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 $25,162. 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.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 SLU Veteran Student Life Report

6

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking, coming in at #6. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 210 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL 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 15,449 students enrolled at Washington University in St Louis, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,972. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 94%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Washington University in St Louis]](/colleges/washington-university-in-st-louis/student-life/veterans/)

7

With a ranking of #7, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 12,846 students enrolled at North Dakota State University, 4 were 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 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…

8
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. Creighton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 93 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying child development list, Creighton has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 8,770 students enrolled at Creighton, 278 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 185 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,575. During this same period, 46 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Creighton 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 92%. 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 Creighton Veteran Student Life Report

9
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

K -State 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 20,854 students enrolled at K -State, 1,099 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 647 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,562. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. K -State 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

10
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. University of Central Missouri is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

UCM 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 9,959 students enrolled at University of Central Missouri, 9 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,238. 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.

Full UCM Veteran Student Life Report

11
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Augsburg University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 2 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying child development list, Augsburg has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,346 students enrolled at Augsburg University, 71 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,851. During this same period, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Augsburg University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Augsburg University Veteran Student Life Report

12

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. UNK is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 43 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

UNK also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UNK supports 6,225 students, and 183 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 71 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,539. To help with additional expenses, 12 students received funds through 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 More…

13

Maryville University of Saint Louis landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. Maryville U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 13 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Maryville U 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, Maryville University of Saint Louis supports 10,979 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,372. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships 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%.

Read More…

14

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

Northwest 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, Northwest Missouri State University supports 7,267 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 68 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,773. 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.

Full Northwest Veteran Student Life Report

15
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 143 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Capella 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, Capella University supports 38,930 students, and 2,589 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,685 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,867. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Capella University Veteran Student Life Report

16
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. Decorah, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,802 students enrolled at Luther College, 19 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,670. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 Luther]](/colleges/luther-college/student-life/veterans/)

17
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #17, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Metro State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,552 students enrolled at Metro State, 257 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 157 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,216. 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%.

Read More…

18
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #18, Walden University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 76 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Walden University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 49,695 students enrolled at Walden University, 2,721 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,568 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,240. To help with additional expenses, 3 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%.

Read More…

19
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development ranking. St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,953 students enrolled at St Olaf College, 23 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,252. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 More…

20
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa

With a ranking of #20, Cornell College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Child Development list. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying child development list, Cornell College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,002 students enrolled at Cornell College, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,961. During this same period, 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 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 Cornell College Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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