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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography

13 Ranked Colleges
201 Degrees Awarded
$27,500 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geography & Cartography is the 110th most popular major in the country with 8,526 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,604 and had an average of $22,522 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 201 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,963 and $22,183 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in geography and cartography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography and cartography 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 geography and cartography program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 in Illinois for Geography” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Illinois for Geography

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying geography.

Top 13 Best Geography & Cartography Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

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 #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 45 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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. 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UChicago also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 241 are 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. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

SIUE 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, SIUE supports 12,860 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SIUE offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State 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 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State offers 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 Illinois State]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, DePaul supports 21,922 students, and 528 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 367 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 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%.

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

6

With a ranking of #6, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 7,490 students enrolled at Western Illinois University, 330 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Western Illinois University]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

7

Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, 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, NIU supports 16,769 students, and 480 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 207 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full Northern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

8
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Elmhurst 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 3,421 students enrolled at Elmhurst, 77 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,985. During this same period, 7 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%.

Read More…

9
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,626 students enrolled at EIU, 184 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. 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.

Full Eastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

10
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

CSU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 94 of the 2,644 students enrolled at CSU were GI Bill® students, of which 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,489. 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.

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.

Full CSU Veteran Student Life Report

11
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University 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 $399. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northwestern]](/colleges/northwestern-university/student-life/veterans/)

12

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois 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 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University, 147 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,460. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northeastern Illinois University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

13
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Geography list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Augustana also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,389 students enrolled at Augustana College, 28 were 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 $13,990. To help with additional expenses, 4 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 85%, 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 full report on veteran student life at Augustana]](/colleges/augustana-college-illinois/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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