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 area of the country where the school is located. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of cities and the colleges and universities with the highest BAH in the US.
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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 2019/2020 school year rates.
- San Francisco, CA BAH = $4,398
- Santa Clara County, CA BAH = $3,828
- New York, NY BAH = $3,738
- Oakland, CA BAH = $3,465
- Long Island, NY BAH = $3,738
- Westchester County, NY BAH = $3,162
- Nantucket, MA BAH = $3,021
- Boston, MA BAH = $3,075
- Marin/Sonoma, CA BAH = $3,012
- Los Angeles, CA BAH = $2,997
- Honolulu, HI BAH = $2,814
- San Diego, CA BAH = $2,601
- Seattle, WA BAH = $2,574
- Camp Pendleton, CA BAH = $2,574
- Monterey, CA BAH = $2,541
- Juneau, AK BAH = $2,457
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 $894.50 for the 2019 academic year (Aug 1, 2019 – Jul 31, 2020).
This is determined by taking half of the national BAH average. However, GI Bill payment rates may be increasing for some online courses, those that are considered hybrid. Learn more here.
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 $4,398
San Francisco State University
Golden Gate University-San Francisco
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Please go here for more detailed housing info for San Francisco
Santa Clara County, CA – BAH is $3,828
New York, NY – BAH is $3,738
Metropolitan College of New York
Oakland, CA – BAH is $3,465
University of California – Berkeley
Long Island, NY – $3,738
Long Island University (LIU) Brentwood
Westchester County, NY $3,162
SUNY – Westchester Community College
Nantucket, MA – $3,021
Boston, MA – $3,075
University of Massachusetts – Boston
Marin/Sonoma, CA – $3,012
Los Angeles, CA – $2,997
University of Southern California (USC)
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
California State University – Los Angeles
Honolulu, HI – $2,814
San Diego, CA – $2,601
University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Seattle, WA – $2,574
University of Washington – Seattle
Camp Pendleton, CA – BAH is $2,574
Monterey, CA – BAH is $2,541
California State University – Monterey Bay
Juneau, AK – $2,457
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.
Read on for more information about each of the 8 Colleges and Universities with the Highest BAH rates in the country.
San Francisco State University
A lot happens on this bustling urban campus of 30,000 students. San Francisco State is a student-centered university, providing many support services from child care to disability assistance. The University offers a range of cultural and performing arts events throughout the year, as well as athletic events, lectures and workshops. And once you’re enrolled as a student on campus, be sure to check out SF State’s career planning resources to help you get that great job after graduation.
Golden Gate University-San Francisco
Golden Gate University programs are catered to the needs of professionals entering or advancing their careers. We offer flexible scheduling as well as personalized academic and career advising to help you craft your own academic experience.
University of San Francisco – BAH: $4,149
At the University of San Francisco, you have access to the ultimate extended classroom: San Francisco with its many opportunities and advantages. Here, our 21st-century mission to fashion a more humane and just world is rooted in Jesuit values, comes alive in our diverse learning community and is broadened by our global orientation. Here you will be challenged to reach higher standards and to use your education to promote justice and serve the common good.
College of San Mateo
College of San Mateo is located at the northern corridor of Silicon Valley and situated on a 153-acre site in the San Mateo hills that provides a panoramic view of San Francisco Bay. Since 1922, CSM has been a gateway to higher education leading to university transfer, career preparation and advancement, and professional and personal development. The College currently serves approximately 10,000 day, evening and weekend students. CSM students reflect the diversity of the Bay Area and have a range of educational goals. To best serve our students, the curriculum offers a wealth of programs that include traditional, semester-length and short courses in addition to distance education.
City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is a public, two-year community college accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community & Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Since its founding in 1935, City College has evolved into a multicultural, multi-campus community college that is one of the largest in the country. CCSF offers courses in more than 50 academic programs and over 100 occupational disciplines. There is a full range of credit courses leading to the Associate of Arts and Science degrees, most of which meet the general education requirements for transfer to a four-year colleges and universities.
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
As a professional school, we are committed to providing an extraordinary education that prepares our graduates to pursue fully engaged lives as citizens of the world.
Our core mission is to transform our students: artistically, intellectually, professionally and individually. We believe that inspiring the imagination, cultivating the artist, honing the intellect, and developing the professional are the keys to launching innovative graduates who excel in any field.
Skyline College
Start on the road to a four-year degree. Earn an associates’s degree. Get specialized skills to prepare you for a rewarding career. Develop new job skills. Graduates include journalists, mathematicians, scientists, educators and more. Our students regularly transfer to Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA and other top universities. Others learn the skills they need to make better lives for themselves and their families. The diversity on our campus creates an environment rich in culture and opportunity. Ideas are warmly embraced. Skyline College is located on 111 acres just west of Skyline College Boulevard in San Bruno. It is conveniently available to residents of South San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, San Bruno and Pacifica.
San Francisco Art Institute
The San Francisco Art Institute Founded in 1871. This makes it one of the nation̠s oldest and most prestigious schools of higher education in contemporary art.
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