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2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

10 Ranked Colleges
145 Degrees Awarded
$47,206 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Theological & Ministerial Studies is the 63rd most popular major in the country with 15,832 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, theological and ministerial studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,590 and had an average of $26,272 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,366 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,653 and $21,394 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 10 colleges that offered a degree in theological and ministerial studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality theological and ministerial studies programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the theological and ministerial studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools

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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 the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region doctor’s degree vets studying theology.

Top 10 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 12,809 students enrolled at University of Notre Dame were GI Bill® students, of which 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,670. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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. 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 be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s theology degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 241 are 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. To help with additional expenses, 58 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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.

Read More…

3
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 10 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree vets studying theology list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola University 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full Loyola Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

4
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ashland University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. Ashland University is a small school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 3 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Ashland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Ashland supports 4,447 students, and 105 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 88 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,554. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received scholarships 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%.

Full Ashland University Veteran Student Life Report

5
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Andrews University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. Andrews University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Andrews did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 3,162 students enrolled at Andrews University, 40 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,888. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Andrews University Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. This small school is located in Deerfield, Illinois, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TIU Illinois, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, TIU Illinois supports 1,454 students, and 14 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,061. 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.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

[Read full report on veteran student life at TIU Illinois]](/colleges/trinity-international-university-illinois/student-life/veterans/)

7
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 4 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,675. To help with additional expenses, 29 students received scholarships through 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Wheaton College Illinois]](/colleges/wheaton-college-illinois/student-life/veterans/)

8

With a ranking of #8, Lincoln Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is located in Lincoln, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s theology degrees to qualified students.

Lincoln Christian College and Seminary also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4.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. To help with additional expenses, 0 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%.

Read More…

9
Christian Theological Seminary crest
Christian Theological Seminary
Indianapolis, Indiana

Christian Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #9. Christian Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 3 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

Christian Theological Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 156 students enrolled at Christian Theological Seminary were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,935. During this same period, 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.

Full Christian Theological Seminary Veteran Student Life Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Payne Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology for a Doctorate list. Payne Theological Seminary is a small school located in Wilberforce, Ohio that handed out 18 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Payne Theological Seminary, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 177 students enrolled at Payne Theological Seminary were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,784. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Payne Theological Seminary]](/colleges/payne-theological-seminary/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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