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2023 Best Human Services Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

21 Ranked Colleges
1,464 Degrees Awarded
$25,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. 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 Plains States Region for Human Services” ranking.

Human Services is the 74th most popular major in the country with 13,238 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, human services graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,839 and had an average of $30,553 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,464 human services graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,470 and $34,156 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in human services. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great human services 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 human services program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Human Services Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Human Services Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services”.

Top 21 Best Human Services Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, Missouri

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College landed the #1 spot on the list. Columbia College is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 185 ’s human services degrees to qualified students.

Columbia College Missouri 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 8,347 students enrolled at Columbia College Missouri, 6 were 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 $750. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Columbia College Missouri does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

2
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Dakota landed the #2 spot on the list. USD is a public institution located in Vermillion, South Dakota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USD, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 332 of the 9,459 students enrolled at USD were GI Bill® students, of which 180 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,423. 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.

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…

3
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bellevue University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services. Bellevue University is located in Bellevue, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s human services degrees to qualified students.

Bellevue University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 13,059 students enrolled at Bellevue University, 1 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. 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 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 Bellevue University]](/colleges/bellevue-university/student-life/veterans/)

4
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services list. Winona State University is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 7,106 students enrolled at Winona State, 142 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 69 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,645. 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%.

Full Winona State University Veteran Student Life Report

5
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Century College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services. White Bear Lake, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s human services degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Century College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 8,203 students enrolled at Century College, 197 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 135 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,525. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Century College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

6

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 4 ’s human services degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Minnesota State Mankato supports 14,761 students, and 331 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 147 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through 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%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Veteran Student Life Report

7
Grand View University crest
Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grand View 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, Grand View University supports 1,874 students, and 86 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 38 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,256. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Grand View University Veteran Student Life Report

8
LATI crest
Lake Area Technical Institute
Watertown, South Dakota

Lake Area Technical Institute ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services list. LATI is a public institution located in Watertown, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

LATI also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,217 students enrolled at Lake Area Technical Institute, 136 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,486. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Lake Area Technical Institute]](/colleges/lake-area-technical-institute/student-life/veterans/)

9
Doane Crete crest
Doane University
Crete, Nebraska

Doane University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Doane University is located in Crete, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s human services degrees to qualified students.

Doane Crete also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 46 of the 2,281 students enrolled at Doane Crete were GI Bill® students, of which 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,250. During this same period, 0 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Doane University]](/colleges/doane-college-crete/student-life/veterans/)

10

Minneapolis Community and Technical College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Minneapolis Community and Technical College 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, Minneapolis Community and Technical College supports 6,429 students, and 127 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,795. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Minneapolis Community and Technical College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Minneapolis Community and Technical College Veteran Student Life Report

11

Upper Iowa University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services list. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Iowa. It awarded 86 ’s human services degrees in 2020-2021.

UIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,610 students enrolled at UIU 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 $3,399. 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.

Read More…

12
Mitchell Tech crest
Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell, South Dakota

Mitchell Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Mitchell, South Dakota, this small public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s human services students in 2020-2021.

Mitchell Tech 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 1,162 students enrolled at Mitchell Tech, 67 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,895. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Mitchell Technical College]](/colleges/mitchell-technical-institute/student-life/veterans/)

13
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s human services degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying human services list, Capella University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 38,930 students enrolled at Capella University, 2,589 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,685 were 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Capella University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

14

Rasmussen University - North Dakota came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s human services degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying human services list, Rasmussen University - North Dakota has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 628 students enrolled at Rasmussen University - North Dakota, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,620. 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.

Read More…

15
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Metro State is a medium-sized public school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 68 ’s human services degrees in 2020-2021.

Metro 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 7,552 students enrolled at Metropolitan State University, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,216. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Metropolitan State University 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%.

Full Metro State Veteran Student Life Report

16
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #16, Saint Louis Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services list. Saint Louis Community College is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s human services degrees to qualified students.

Saint Louis Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 15,206 students enrolled at Saint Louis Community College, 16 were 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 $2,111. 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 Saint Louis Community College Veteran Student Life Report

17

Concordia University, Saint Paul came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Concordia University, Saint Paul is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s human services degrees to qualified students.

Concordia University, Saint Paul also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 196 of the 5,585 students enrolled at Concordia University, Saint Paul were GI Bill® students, of which 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,143. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 Concordia University, Saint Paul Veteran Student Life Report

18
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Walden University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 391 ’s human services degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying human services list, Walden University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Walden University supports 49,695 students, and 2,721 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,568 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,240. On top of their other funding sources, 3 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 full report on veteran student life at Walden University]](/colleges/walden-university/student-life/veterans/)

19

Rasmussen University - Minnesota came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. St. Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s human services degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying human services list, Rasmussen University - Minnesota has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 14 of the 3,927 students enrolled at Rasmussen University - Minnesota were GI Bill® students, of which 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,244. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Rasmussen University - Minnesota offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Rasmussen University - Minnesota Veteran Student Life Report

20
MBU crest
Missouri Baptist University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Missouri Baptist University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking. Missouri Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 17 ’s human services degrees in 2020-2021.

MBU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 4,860 students enrolled at Missouri Baptist University, 71 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,645. To help with additional expenses, 8 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at MBU]](/colleges/missouri-baptist-university/student-life/veterans/)

21
Ottawa University - Kansas City crest
Ottawa University - Kansas City
Overland Park, Kansas

Ottawa University - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Human Services ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Overland Park, Kansas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s human services students in 2020-2021.

Ottawa University - Kansas City also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 7 of the 532 students enrolled at Ottawa University - Kansas City were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,198. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ottawa University - Kansas City does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Ottawa University - Kansas City]](/colleges/ottawa-university-kansas-city/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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