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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design

14 Ranked Colleges
1,124 Degrees Awarded
$27,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 the Rocky Mountains Region for Design” ranking.

Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 1,124 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,459 and $32,125 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The design 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 the Rocky Mountains Region for Design”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design”.

Top 14 Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

1
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, 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 1 of the 33,081 students enrolled at University of Utah were GI Bill® students, of which 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full U of U Veteran Student Life Report

2
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Denver. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

DU 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 13,856 students enrolled at DU, 571 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 373 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,359. During this same period, 155 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%.

Read More…

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boise State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design. Boise State is located in Boise, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 104 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Boise State 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 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State University, 1,134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,559. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Boise State University 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…

4

Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design that were part of this year’s ranking, Utah Valley University landed the #4 spot on the list. Utah Valley University is a large public school situated in Orem, Utah. It awarded 287 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 40,936 students enrolled at Utah Valley University, 813 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 379 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,550. On top of their other funding sources, 0 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 Utah Valley University]](/colleges/utah-valley-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Salt Lake Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design. Salt Lake Community College is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying design list, Salt Lake Community College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 27,293 students enrolled at Salt Lake Community College, 7 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 $1,749. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Salt Lake Community College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Salt Lake Community College Veteran Student Life Report

6
Arapahoe Community College crest
Arapahoe Community College
Littleton, Colorado

Arapahoe Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design ranking. Arapahoe Community College is located in Littleton, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Arapahoe Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 290 of the 12,001 students enrolled at Arapahoe Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 180 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,789. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Arapahoe Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Arapahoe Community College]](/colleges/arapahoe-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

7
MSU Bozeman crest
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

Montana State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design list. Montana State University is a fairly large public school situated in Bozeman, Montana. It awarded 16 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

MSU Bozeman 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, Montana State University supports 16,218 students, and 656 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 393 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,023. To help with additional expenses, 37 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%.

Read More…

8

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design list. RMCAD is a small school located in Lakewood, Colorado that handed out 117 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

RMCAD also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 226 of the 1,643 students enrolled at RMCAD were GI Bill® students, of which 176 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,994. In addition to receiving other benefits, 28 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 RMCAD]](/colleges/rocky-mountain-college-of-art-and-design/student-life/veterans/)

9

With a ranking of #9, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Denver, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,086 students enrolled at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 1,222 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 867 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,619. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full MSU Denver Veteran Student Life Report

10

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design ranking. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 95 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying design list, BYU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 36,461 students enrolled at BYU, 368 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 220 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,856. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full BYU Veteran Student Life Report

11

Weber State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design ranking. WSU is a public institution located in Ogden, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying design list, WSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 747 of the 29,596 students enrolled at WSU were GI Bill® students, of which 472 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,815. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WSU 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 Weber State University Veteran Student Life Report

12
Southern Utah University crest
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, Utah

Southern Utah University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design ranking. Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City, Utah and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Southern Utah University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 12,582 students enrolled at Southern Utah University, 534 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 378 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,076. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Utah University 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Utah University]](/colleges/southern-utah-university/student-life/veterans/)

13
Northwest Community College crest
Northwest College
Powell, Wyoming

Northwest College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design ranking. Powell, Wyoming is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Northwest Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 43 of the 1,438 students enrolled at Northwest Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,368. 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.

Full Northwest Community College Veteran Student Life Report

14
LDS Business College crest
LDS Business College
Salt Lake City, Utah

LDS Business College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Design ranking. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying design list, LDS Business College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 16 of the 1,829 students enrolled at LDS Business College 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 $1,123. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full LDS Business College Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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