2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
22
Ranked Colleges
2,366
Degrees Awarded
$28,500
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 Great Lakes Region for Theology” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 15,832 people earned their degree in theological and ministerial studies, making the major the 63rd most popular in the United States. 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” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theological and ministerial studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great theological and ministerial studies programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology”.
Top 22 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region
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 list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology degrees to 139 students in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame 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, Notre Dame supports 12,809 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 20 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,670. During this same period, 7 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Notre Dame Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 58 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. 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 UChicago Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Franciscan U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Steubenville, Ohio. It awarded 205 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Franciscan U, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,304 students enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville, 90 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 56 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,993. To help with additional expenses, 17 students received scholarships 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Franciscan University of Steubenville]](/colleges/franciscan-university-of-steubenville/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana Wesleyan University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology. Indiana Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Marion, Indiana. It awarded 10 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
IWU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,108 students enrolled at IWU, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,305. On top of their other funding sources, 0 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%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. During this same period, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Chicago does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.
Full Loyola University Chicago Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #6, Ashland University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Ashland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ashland, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,554. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ashland 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%.
Full Ashland Veteran Student Life Report
Andrews University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology ranking. Located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 154 degrees to qualified ’s theology students in 2020-2021.
Andrews also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,888. 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.
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 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 full report on veteran student life at Andrews University]](/colleges/andrews-university/student-life/veterans/)
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s theology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying theology list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene, 57 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. To help with additional expenses, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet Nazarene 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%.
Full Olivet Nazarene Veteran Student Life Report
Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology ranking. Winona Lake, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Grace College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 1,901 students enrolled at Grace College, 27 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,455. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grace College 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%.
Full Grace College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 99 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at TIU Illinois, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,454 students enrolled at TIU Illinois, 14 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. TIU Illinois offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read More…
Cornerstone University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology ranking, coming in at #11. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornerstone, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Cornerstone supports 1,917 students, and 61 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 35 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,056. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received scholarships through 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 86%, 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Cornerstone University]](/colleges/cornerstone-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #12, Ohio Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Ohio Christian University is a small school located in Circleville, Ohio that handed out 156 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OCU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,186 students enrolled at OCU, 121 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 85 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
[Read full report on veteran student life at OCU]](/colleges/ohio-christian-university/student-life/veterans/)
Concordia Theological Seminary ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 34 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia Theological Seminary also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Concordia Theological Seminary supports 295 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 7 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,992. On top of their other funding sources, 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read More…
Moody Bible Institute landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology ranking. Moody Bible Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 200 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 2,870 students enrolled at Moody Bible Institute 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 $125. On top of their other funding sources, 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%.
Full Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School Veteran Student Life Report
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified ’s theology students in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Wheaton College Illinois supports 2,908 students, and 56 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,675. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 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/)
With a ranking of #16, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Northern Baptist Theological Seminary is located in Lisle, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s theology degrees to qualified students.
Northern Seminary also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 285 students enrolled at Northern Seminary, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for 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…
Meadville Lombard Theological School came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Meadville Lombard Theological School, 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 4 of the 83 students enrolled at Meadville Lombard Theological School were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,316. On top of their other funding sources, 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%. 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.
Full Meadville Lombard Theological School Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #18, Lincoln Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Lincoln Christian University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lincoln, Illinois. It awarded 60 ’s theology degrees in 2020-2021.
Lincoln Christian College and Seminary 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 581 students enrolled at Lincoln Christian University, 13 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,761. During this same period, 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…
Christian Theological Seminary ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
Christian Theological Seminary also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,935. During this same period, 0 students received funds through 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
With a ranking of #20, McCormick Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Theology list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified ’s theology students in 2020-2021.
McCormick Theological Seminary also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 221 students enrolled at McCormick Theological Seminary, 2 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through 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. 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 McCormick Theological Seminary]](/colleges/mccormick-theological-seminary/student-life/veterans/)
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