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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology

12 Ranked Colleges
842 Degrees Awarded
$27,500 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 11,039 people earned their degree in criminology, making the major the 80th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, criminology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,568 and had an average of $24,453 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 842 criminology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,435 and $22,013 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminology programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

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

More Ways to Rank Criminology Schools

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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 Southwest Region for Criminology” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region vets studying criminology.

Top 12 Best Criminology Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 11 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe 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 7,566 of the 74,795 students enrolled at ASU - Tempe were GI Bill® students, of which 3,828 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,068. On top of their other funding sources, 672 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. ASU - Tempe 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 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%.

Full ASU - Tempe Veteran Student Life Report

2
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Arizona University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 284 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

NAU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 29,566 students enrolled at NAU, 1,055 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,378. During this same period, 56 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. NAU 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northern Arizona University]](/colleges/northern-arizona-university/student-life/veterans/)

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Dallas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology list. UT Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 74 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Dallas 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 28,669 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas, 752 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 458 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,706. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of Texas at Dallas 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UT Dallas Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston - Clear Lake. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

UH Clear Lake also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 9,053 students enrolled at UH Clear Lake, 465 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 292 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,337. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UH Clear Lake 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%.

Full UH Clear Lake Veteran Student Life Report

5

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - San Antonio landed the #5 spot on the list. Texas A&M San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M San Antonio also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 6,759 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - San Antonio, 768 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 439 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,114. 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.

Full Texas A&M San Antonio Veteran Student Life Report

6
St. Mary's crest
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas

St. Mary’s University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology list. St. Mary’s University is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 31 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Mary’s, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,458 students enrolled at St. Mary’s, 264 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 174 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,459. In addition to receiving other benefits, 74 students received funds 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 St. Mary’s]](/colleges/st-marys-university/student-life/veterans/)

7
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology ranking. Oklahoma City University is a small school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that handed out 12 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

OCU 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 2,617 students enrolled at Oklahoma City University, 114 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,606. During this same period, 22 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%. 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.

Full Oklahoma City University Veteran Student Life Report

8
McMurray University crest
McMurry University
Abilene, Texas

McMurry University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology ranking. This small school is located in Abilene, Texas, and it awarded 13 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

McMurray University 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 1,094 students enrolled at McMurry University, 130 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 82 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,214. In addition to receiving other benefits, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full McMurray University Veteran Student Life Report

9

Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Kingsville, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying criminology list, Texas A&M Kingsville has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 215 of the 6,932 students enrolled at Texas A&M Kingsville were GI Bill® students, of which 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,743. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M University - Kingsville]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-kingsville/student-life/veterans/)

10

Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Commerce, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M Commerce 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 12,249 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - Commerce, 594 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 337 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,401. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Texas A&M University - Commerce Veteran Student Life Report

11

With a ranking of #11, Central New Mexico Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology list. Central New Mexico Community College is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

CNM 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 839 of the 21,398 students enrolled at CNM were GI Bill® students, of which 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,171. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full CNM Veteran Student Life Report

12
Howard Payne crest
Howard Payne University
Brownwood, Texas

Howard Payne University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminology list. Located in Brownwood, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

Howard Payne 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 1,060 students enrolled at Howard Payne University, 43 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,886. During this same period, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Howard Payne University Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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