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2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges for Veterans in Iowa

10 Ranked Colleges
841 Degrees Awarded
$32,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 98,583 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 841 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,238 and $34,937 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking analyzed 10 colleges that offered a degree in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs as well as strong veteran support.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service”.

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges for Veterans in Iowa

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 174 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa 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 of the 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Iowa 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 133 students in 2020-2021.

UNI also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 9,507 students enrolled at University of Northern Iowa, 251 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. During this same period, 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 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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3
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Out of the 10 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the #3 spot on the list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

Drake 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 4,774 students enrolled at Drake, 100 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,780. During this same period, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Drake does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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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4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Ambrose University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our iowa vets studying public administration & social service list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,003 students enrolled at Saint Ambrose University, 88 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,054. 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 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 Saint Ambrose University Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Des Moines Area Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service. DMACC is located in Ankeny, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

DMACC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 500 of the 23,051 students enrolled at DMACC were GI Bill® students, of which 221 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,709. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Des Moines Area Community College]](/colleges/des-moines-area-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

6
Grand View University crest
Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our iowa vets studying public administration & social service list, Grand View University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,874 students enrolled at Grand View University, 86 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 38 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,256. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Grand View University Veteran Student Life Report

7
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa

Clarke University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. Clarke is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 31 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clarke, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 855 students enrolled at Clarke University, 18 are 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 $22,673. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Clarke 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%. 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.

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8

With a ranking of #8, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service list. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fayette, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 133 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,610 students enrolled at UIU, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Upper Iowa University Veteran Student Life Report

9
Mount Mercy crest
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. Mount Mercy University is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Mount Mercy also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,705 students enrolled at Mount Mercy, 58 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,227. 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 Mount Mercy Veteran Student Life Report

10
Briar Cliff crest
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Briar Cliff University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Public Administration & Social Service list. Briar Cliff University is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Briar Cliff also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Briar Cliff supports 1,076 students, and 31 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 15 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,269. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Briar Cliff does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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