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2023 Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

10 Ranked Colleges
861 Degrees Awarded
$44,434 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations 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. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Theology & Religious Vocations is the 26th most popular major in the country with 27,459 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, theology and religious vocations graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,020 and had an average of $26,322 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,807 theology and religious vocations graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,733 and $16,129 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s” ranking looked at 10 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theology and religious vocations. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent theology and religious vocations 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 theology and religious vocations program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations 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. 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 Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree vets studying theology & religious vocations.

Top 10 Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s list. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying theology & religious vocations list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Loyola University Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. On top of their other funding sources, 78 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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 Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,948. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

3
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Out of the 10 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Olivet Nazarene University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 38 degrees to qualified masters’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University, 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. During this same period, 11 students received scholarships through 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 Olivet Nazarene University Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity International University - Illinois. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s list. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees to 113 students in 2020-2021.

TIU Illinois also made our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9.Our most recent data shows that 14 of the 1,454 students enrolled at Trinity International University - Illinois were GI Bill® students, of which 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,061. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Trinity International University - Illinois does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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 Trinity International University - Illinois]](/colleges/trinity-international-university-illinois/student-life/veterans/)

5
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School crest
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Moody Bible Institute. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 178 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Moody Bible Institute supports 2,870 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $125. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for 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%.

Read More…

6
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6.Of the 2,908 students enrolled at Wheaton College Illinois, 56 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 45 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,675. During this same period, 29 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 90%. 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 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 Wheaton College Illinois]](/colleges/wheaton-college-illinois/student-life/veterans/)

7

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s ranking. Northern Baptist Theological Seminary is located in Lisle, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees to qualified students.

Northern Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 285 students enrolled at Northern Seminary were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,647. To help with additional expenses, 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northern Baptist Theological Seminary Veteran Student Life Report

8

Lincoln Christian University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Lincoln, Illinois, and it awarded 55 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

Lincoln Christian College and Seminary also made our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 13 of the 581 students enrolled at Lincoln Christian University were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,761. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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%.

Read More…

9
2 GI Bill® Students**
#8 in overall quality

McCormick Theological Seminary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s ranking. McCormick Theological Seminary is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

McCormick Theological Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 221 students enrolled at McCormick Theological Seminary, 2 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 scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theology & Religious Vocations for a Master’s list. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 41 masters’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

LSTC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 145 students enrolled at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,390. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago]](/colleges/lutheran-school-of-theology-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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