Highest BAH Rates for US Colleges & Cities

Colleges and Cities with the Highest BAH Rates

Which cities have the highest GI Bill BAH rates in the US?  If you’re looking to go to school, you’ll want to know which colleges and universities have the highest BAH in the US. 

As a part of your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, you will receive a Monthly Housing Allowance. The Monthly Housing Allowance is equal to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents.

Your BAH (or MHA) depends on a lot of different factors, including the area of the country where the school is located. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of cities and colleges and universities with the highest BAH in the US.

Jump right to:

• Cities with the Highest BAH
• Schools with the Highest BAH

Cities with the Highest BAH Rates

You may know that San Francisco has the highest BAH in the country (the BAH for San Francisco is $4,329 per month).  But what other cities make the list?

Here is a partial list of the cities with the highest GI Bill BAH rates in the country. The figures show the BAH for an E-5 with dependents for these cities based on 2020/2021 school year rates.

• San Francisco, CA BAH = $4,614
• Santa Clara County, CA  BAH = $4,122
• Long Island, NY BAH =  $3,465
• Oakland, CA BAH = $3,243
• Marin/Sonoma, CA BAH = $3,234
• New York, NY BAH = $3,234
• Westchester County, NY BAH = $3,150
• Los Angeles, CA BAH = $3,114
• Nantucket, MA BAH = $3,024
• Boston, MA BAH = $3,024
• Florida Keys, FL BAH = $2,976
• Honolulu, HI BAH = $2,913
• New Haven, CT BAH = $2,901
• Northern New Jersey BAH = $2,853
• San Diego, CA BAH = $2,850
• Hanscom AFB BAH = $2,850

Do You Get Full BAH If You Attend Online Classes Exclusively?

You will receive BAH as a veteran attending online college, schools, or distance learning programs as a full-time student.

The current MHA or Post 9/11 GI Bill BAH rate for online schools is $871 for the 2020-2021 academic year (Aug 1, 2020 – Jul 31, 2021).

This is determined by taking half of the national BAH average.

RELATED: Online Colleges for the Military

Now that we know which cities have the highest BAH, here’s the list of the schools with the highest BAH.

The Colleges and Universities With the Highest BAH Rates

Below each military housing area is a partial list of schools in that area.

San Francisco, CA – BAH is $4,614

• Golden Gate University – San Francisco
• San Francisco State University
• University of San Francisco
• College of San Mateo
• City College of San Francisco
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music
• Skyline College
• San Francisco Art Institute

Please go here for more detailed housing allowance info for San Francisco

Santa Clara County, CA – BAH is $4,122

• Santa Clara University
• San Jose State University
• Mission College
• West Valley College
• Evergreen Valley College

Long Island, NY – $3,465

• St. Joseph’s College
• SUNY College at Old Westbury
• Long Island University (LIU) Brentwood

Oakland, CA – BAH is $3,243

• Mills College
• Merritt College
• University of California – Berkeley
• Laney College

Marin/Sonoma, CA – BAH is $3,234

• College of Marin
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• California Maritime Academy

New York, NY – BAH is $3,234

• City College of New York
• Metropolitan College of New York
• Columbia University
• Manhattan College
• Brooklyn College

Westchester County, NY – BAH is $3,150

• SUNY – Westchester Community College
• Pace University

Los Angeles, CA – BAH is $3,114

• Biola University
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
• California State University – Los Angeles
• Loyola Marymount University

Nantucket, MA – BAH is $3,024

• Cape Cod Community College

Boston, MA – BAH is $3,024

• Boston University
• University of Massachusetts – Boston
• Boston College
• Northeastern University

Florida Keys, FL – $2,976

• The College Of The Florida Keys
• Florida International University
• Barry University

Honolulu, HI – $2,913

• Honolulu Community College
• University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Hawaii Pacific University

New Haven, CT – $2,901

• Southern Connecticut State University
• Albertus Magnus College

Northern New Jersey – $2,853

• Bergen Community College

San Diego, CA – $2,850

• San Diego State University
• University of California San Diego (UCSD)
• University of San Diego

Hanscom AFB – $2,850

• Bentley University

Seattle, WA – $2,748

• University of Washington – Seattle
• Seattle University

Camp Pendleton, CA – BAH is $2,589

• Palomar College

Monterey, CA – BAH is $2,508

• Monterey Peninsula College
• California State University – Monterey Bay

Juneau, AK – $2,454

• University of Alaska – Southeast

How is BAH Determined for the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

The calculation for BAH depends on a few factors including:

• zip code of the school (military housing area)
• your GI Bill eligibility
• if you are a full-time or part-time student 
• equal to pay grade of E-5 with dependents

As BAH is partially determined where the school is located, it is important to know the city that the school is in.

RELATED:

• Yellow Ribbon Schools List
• GI Bill Payment Dates and Rates
• Post-9/11 GI Bill Overview
• Transferring Your GI Bill to Spouse and Dependents
• Beyond the Post 911 GI Bill: Additional Money for Veterans

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