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2023 Best Photography Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

18 Ranked Colleges
249 Degrees Awarded
$29,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 2,184 people earned their degree in photography, making the major the 310th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 249 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in photography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great photography 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 photography program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Photography Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Photography

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region vets studying photography.

Top 18 Best Photography Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC 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, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supports 52,679 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are 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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

2

Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #2 spot on the list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 14 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 23,350 students enrolled at Grand Valley State University, 479 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 198 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,686. 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 More…

3
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia 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 6,769 students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago, 140 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,151. On top of their other funding sources, 25 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 Columbia College Chicago]](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Dayton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography list. University of Dayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying photography list, UDayton has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 11,650 students enrolled at University of Dayton, 197 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 142 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,930. During this same period, 40 students received funds 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography list. OHIO Athens is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 2 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 25,714 students enrolled at Ohio University - Athens Campus, 726 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,725. To help with additional expenses, 10 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio University - Athens Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Veteran Student Life Report

6
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 3 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

Oakland also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 323 of the 18,552 students enrolled at Oakland University were GI Bill® students, of which 197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,271. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Oakland University offers credit for military training for eligible 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%.

Full Oakland Veteran Student Life Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s photography degrees to qualified students.

UIC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC, 1 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 $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 More…

8

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking, coming in at #8. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 5 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying photography list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Akron Main Campus supports 16,094 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,240. 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.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report

9

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking, coming in at #9. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

Youngstown State University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Youngstown State University supports 11,835 students, and 327 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 130 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,697. 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 Youngstown State University Veteran Student Life Report

10
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying photography list, Ferris has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 11,165 students enrolled at Ferris State University, 377 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 189 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,426. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Ferris State University Veteran Student Life Report

11
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking, coming in at #11. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,855 students enrolled at Bradley University, 96 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,498. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bradley 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Bradley]](/colleges/bradley-university/student-life/veterans/)

12

College for Creative Studies landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.

CCS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 32 of the 1,512 students enrolled at College for Creative Studies were GI Bill® students, of which 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,696. On top of their other funding sources, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

13

Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking. Located in Winona Lake, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grace College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,901 students enrolled at Grace College, 27 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,455. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grace College does offer credit for military training for eligible 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…

14

Cleveland Institute of Art did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking, coming in at #14. CIA is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s photography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CIA, 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 17 of the 599 students enrolled at Cleveland Institute of Art were GI Bill® students, of which 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,220. During this same period, 5 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cleveland Institute of Art 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full CIA Veteran Student Life Report

15

Columbus College of Art and Design came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying photography list, CCAD has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Columbus College of Art and Design supports 1,009 students, and 35 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 25 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,884. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

16

With a ranking of #16, Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography list. AAC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying photography list, AAC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 235 students enrolled at AAC, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,383. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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.

Full Art Academy of Cincinnati Veteran Student Life Report

17
Carnbrook Academy crest
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #17, Cranbrook Academy of Art did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography list. Carnbrook Academy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnbrook Academy 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 126 students enrolled at Cranbrook Academy of Art, 1 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. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships 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 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 Carnbrook Academy]](/colleges/cranbrook-academy-of-art/student-life/veterans/)

18
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Photography ranking. The Academy is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s photography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region vets studying photography list, The Academy has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 169 students enrolled at American Academy of Art, 1 were 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 received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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