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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate

17 Ranked Colleges
92 Degrees Awarded
$32,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 11,287 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,164 and $24,347 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science and government programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science and government program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate”.

Top 17 Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5.Of the 30,092 students enrolled at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1 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. 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.

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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Veteran Student Life Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

UF also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 53,372 students enrolled at UF were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 University of Florida Veteran Student Life Report

3
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kentucky landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s political science students in 2020-2021.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 29,986 students enrolled at University of Kentucky, 1 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 University of Kentucky Veteran Student Life Report

4
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Alabama landed the #4 spot on the list. UA is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 4 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UA also took the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2,081 of the 37,840 students enrolled at UA were GI Bill® students, of which 1,128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,975. On top of their other funding sources, 357 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 87%, 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 full report on veteran student life at The University of Alabama]](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama/student-life/veterans/)

5
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4.Of the 25,628 students enrolled at University of Virginia - Main Campus, 3 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 University of Virginia]](/colleges/university-of-virginia-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

6

With a ranking of #6, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree vets studying political science list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UT Knoxville supports 30,559 students, and 1,122 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 739 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,650. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students qualified for 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 89%, 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 UT Knoxville Veteran Student Life Report

7
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking. GMU is a public institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 2,334 of the 38,541 students enrolled at George Mason University were GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. In addition to receiving other benefits, 42 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 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…

8

With a ranking of #8, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate list. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

UofSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,609 of the 35,470 students enrolled at University of South Carolina - Columbia were GI Bill® students, of which 651 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,453. On top of their other funding sources, 33 students qualified for 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UofSC Veteran Student Life Report

9

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking. Louisiana State University is a large public school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 4 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Louisiana State University, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 34,285 students enrolled at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College were GI Bill® students, of which 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Louisiana State University]](/colleges/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-and-mechanical-college/student-life/veterans/)

10
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. Georgia State is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Georgia State also made our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14.According to our most recent data, Georgia State supports 36,360 students, and 1,873 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 662 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,934. To help with additional expenses, 2 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…

11
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #11. University of Mississippi is located in University, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 21,014 students enrolled at Ole Miss, 46 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,346. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

12
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke also made our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1.Of the 16,172 students enrolled at Duke, 36 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,387. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 Duke Veteran Student Life Report

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #13, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s political science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree vets studying political science list, UGA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 9 of the 39,147 students enrolled at University of Georgia were GI Bill® students, of which 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,402. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

14

Florida International University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 2 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, FIU supports 58,836 students, and 1,079 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 606 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,771. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 FIU Veteran Student Life Report

15
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s political science students in 2020-2021.

WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 26,269 students enrolled at West Virginia University, 1,033 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 $8,599. During this same period, 66 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full WVU Veteran Student Life Report

16
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 13,537 students enrolled at Vanderbilt University, 13 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 $17,769. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 Vanderbilt Veteran Student Life Report

17
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Political Science for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also made our “Best Political Science & Government Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3.According to our most recent data, Emory supports 13,997 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. On top of their other funding sources, 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 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

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