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2023 Best Social Work Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

21 Ranked Colleges
2,719 Degrees Awarded
$27,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work

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 Illinois for Social Work” ranking.

Social Work is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 9th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 57,401 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across Illinois, there were 2,719 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social work programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work”.

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 Illinois for Social Work

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work”.

Top 21 Best Social Work Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 226 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC 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 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 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. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.

Read More…

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UChicago 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 17,834 students enrolled at University of Chicago, 241 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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%.

Full UChicago Veteran Student Life Report

3

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 251 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago, 1 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 $23,878. 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

4
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 712 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

Aurora 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 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University, 3 are 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 $6,999. 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.

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 Aurora Veteran Student Life Report

5
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 317 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago 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 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 64 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE 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 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. 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.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Veteran Student Life Report

7

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking, coming in at #7. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 108 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC 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 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 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. During this same period, 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 SIUC]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)

8

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking, coming in at #8. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State offers 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 More…

9
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 29 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Saint Francis also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of Saint Francis supports 3,529 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,734. 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.

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 University of Saint Francis Veteran Student Life Report

10

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking, coming in at #10. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

WIU 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, Western Illinois University supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full WIU Veteran Student Life Report

11

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 163 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 147 of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. During this same period, 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 Northeastern Illinois University]](/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 75 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

GSU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 146 of the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University were GI Bill® students, of which 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,291. To help with additional expenses, 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 More…

13
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul 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 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul University were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students qualified for 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%.

Full DePaul Veteran Student Life Report

14
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Olivet Nazarene 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 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene, 57 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students received funds 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 full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene University]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)

15

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking, coming in at #15. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 20 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UIS 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 4,146 students enrolled at UIS, 214 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,253. 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 University of Illinois at Springfield Veteran Student Life Report

16
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. NLU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

NLU 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 7,402 students enrolled at NLU, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,078. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full NLU Veteran Student Life Report

17
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Dominican U 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 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican University, 37 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,038. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Dominican University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Dominican U Veteran Student Life Report

18
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking, coming in at #18. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSU, 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 94 of the 2,644 students enrolled at Chicago State University were GI Bill® students, of which 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,489. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Chicago State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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.

Read More…

19
The Erikson Institute crest
Erikson Institute
Chicago, Illinois

Erikson Institute landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The Erikson Institute also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 457 students enrolled at Erikson Institute, 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 The Erikson Institute Veteran Student Life Report

20
St. Augustine College crest
Saint Augustine College
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. St. Augustine College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying social work list, St. Augustine College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Saint Augustine College supports 901 students, and 6 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,227. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at St. Augustine College]](/colleges/saint-augustine-college/student-life/veterans/)

21
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Social Work ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 134 of the 6,491 students enrolled at Concordia University, Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,085. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 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 Concordia University, Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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