College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s

21 Ranked Colleges
872 Degrees Awarded
$26,700 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master's

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking.

Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,304 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin 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 Public Admin for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin.

Top 21 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 93 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 31,089 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Columbia 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 $3,384. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 Mizzou 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 Public Admin for a Master’s. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 28 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UMN Twin Cities supports 52,017 students, and 752 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 436 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 UMN Twin Cities]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/student-life/veterans/)

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #3 spot on the list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

KU also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3.Our most recent data shows that 70 of the 26,744 students enrolled at University of Kansas were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,917. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 More…

4
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Dakota. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UND also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UND supports 13,615 students, and 796 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 395 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,112. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through 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%.

Read More…

5

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #5 spot on the list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.

UNOMAHA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, UNOMAHA supports 15,892 students, and 928 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 488 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,364. In addition to receiving other benefits, 75 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UNOMAHA 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%.

Read More…

6
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Parkville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Park University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Park University supports 10,165 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,501. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Park University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

7
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #7, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. USD is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 20 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 9,459 students enrolled at USD, 332 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. 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…

8
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Charles, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Lindenwood University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 7,382 students enrolled at Lindenwood University, 31 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,583. On top of their other funding sources, 1 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%.

Read More…

9
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Hamline University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Hamline not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 3,113 students enrolled at Hamline, 98 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 63 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,455. On top of their other funding sources, 17 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%.

Full Hamline University Veteran Student Life Report

10

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UMSL also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 314 of the 13,874 students enrolled at University of Missouri - St Louis were GI Bill® students, of which 228 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,355. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Missouri - St Louis 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%.

Read More…

11
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 291 of the 11,841 students enrolled at Saint Cloud State University were GI Bill® students, of which 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,067. 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Saint Cloud State University]](/colleges/saint-cloud-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

12

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 71 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Missouri State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 23,505 students enrolled at Missouri State, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,830. On top of their other funding sources, 1 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%.

Full Missouri State Veteran Student Life Report

13
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #13, Drake University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Drake has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 100 of the 4,774 students enrolled at Drake University were GI Bill® students, of which 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,780. To help with additional expenses, 11 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

14

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 33 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 16,147 students enrolled at University of Missouri - Kansas City, 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 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. University of Missouri - Kansas City 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%.

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

15
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #15. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bellevue, Nebraska. It awarded 30 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Bellevue University also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20.According to our most recent data, Bellevue University supports 13,059 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. 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.

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 Bellevue University]](/colleges/bellevue-university/student-life/veterans/)

16

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #16. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 27 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 14,999 students enrolled at WSU, 577 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 385 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,488. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships 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 WSU]](/colleges/wichita-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

17
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large private for-profit school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Capella University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 38,930 students enrolled at Capella University, 2,589 were 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. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

18

Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. UIU is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,610 students enrolled at Upper Iowa University 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.

Full UIU Veteran Student Life Report

19
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Southeast Missouri State University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 344 of the 10,001 students enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University were GI Bill® students, of which 143 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,052. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southeast Missouri State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Southeast Missouri State University]](/colleges/southeast-missouri-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

20
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Metro State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 257 of the 7,552 students enrolled at Metro State were GI Bill® students, of which 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. 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.

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…

21
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Walden University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 152 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Walden University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.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. To help with additional expenses, 3 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 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/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options