2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy
13
Ranked Colleges
892
Degrees Awarded
$36,400
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Public Policy is the 113th most popular major in the country with 6,430 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $21,866 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 892 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,209 and $22,744 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public policy programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public policy program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy”.
Top 13 Best Public Policy Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region
Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 199 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
USC 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 46,287 students enrolled at USC, 1,311 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,487. On top of their other funding sources, 388 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 91%, 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%. 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.
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Out of the 13 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #2 spot on the list. UNLV is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNLV, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 31,142 students enrolled at UNLV, 1,594 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 929 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,370. To help with additional expenses, 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%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 131 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying public policy list, UCLA has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of California - Los Angeles supports 44,589 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Portland State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy. Located in Portland, Oregon, this large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Portland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,127 of the 23,640 students enrolled at Portland State University were GI Bill® students, of which 739 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,835. To help with additional expenses, 100 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Portland State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Portland State University]](/colleges/portland-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy list. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Wazzu 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 31,159 students enrolled at Washington State University, 83 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,702. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 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 Wazzu]](/colleges/washington-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine 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 $3,620. During this same period, 0 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Irvine]](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 109 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of California - Riverside supports 26,434 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,182. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of California - Riverside 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Riverside]](/colleges/university-of-california-riverside/student-life/veterans/)
California Lutheran University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy ranking, coming in at #8. California Lutheran University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 30 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
CLU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,027 students enrolled at California Lutheran University, 166 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,342. During this same period, 37 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California Lutheran 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at California Lutheran University]](/colleges/california-lutheran-university/student-life/veterans/)
Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
MSMU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Mount Saint Mary’s University supports 2,745 students, and 12 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,275. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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. 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%.
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Central Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 2 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
CWU 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 11,174 students enrolled at CWU, 711 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 327 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,593. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. CWU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Pepperdine University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy ranking. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 31 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Pepperdine also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Pepperdine supports 9,554 students, and 458 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 288 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,329. To help with additional expenses, 180 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read More…
Loma Linda University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy ranking. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Loma Linda, California. It awarded 2 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Loma Linda University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 4,468 students enrolled at Loma Linda University 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. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Loma Linda University Veteran Student Life Report
Mills College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Public Policy ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 31 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Mills also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 961 students enrolled at Mills, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,540. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 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 8 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 Mills]](/colleges/mills-college/student-life/veterans/)
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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