According to a recent article from NBC News, there are roughly 800,000 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces currently attending college ― but sadly, nearly 88% of these veteran students are expected to drop out before completing their first year of school and only 3% are expected to actually graduate. Troubling statistics like these have led lawmakers and higher-learning institutions across the country to adopt measures that not only enable veterans to attend college, but also aid their transition into and out of the classroom and offer services (such as vet counseling and student organizations) that address the specific needs of this population.

This list from BestColleges.com looks at 40 reputable colleges and universities in the U.S. that have particularly excelled in recent years when it comes to educating and supporting veteran students. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive resource that veterans, active servicemembers, reservists, and military dependents or survivors can use to determine which college will provide the most support, in terms of both financial aid and student services.

RANKING METHODOLOGY

To build our list, we consulted the ‘Top 200 National Universities’ list compiled by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to their inclusion on this prestigious ranking, all of the schools in our list below meet each of the following three criteria:

• Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Members: This program was launched in 1972 to assist active military personnel who have historically struggled to earn a college degree due to frequent relocation. The SOC is co-managed by the Department of Defense, ‘active’ and ‘reserve’ arms of the five major military branches (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy) and the National Guard, and 15 higher education associations.
• ACE Credit Honored: The American Council on Education (ACE) works directly with the U.S. Armed Forces to evaluate military training courses and programs. Schools that honor ACE credits will allow veterans to use credits earned from these courses and programs toward their degree program.
• Yellow Ribbon Program/Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Participant: Under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, all tuition and resident fees for public higher education will be paid for military veterans who have served at least 36 months since September 2011; private school tuition and fees will be partially covered, as well. Active servicemembers are not eligible for this form of tuition assistance, but will be considered eligible if they meet the other criteria once they have received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces.

Our list also highlights what has become a nationwide emphasis on veteran education. In all, 27 states (as well as District of Columbia) are represented in our ranking of 40 schools. Readers should note that virtually every accredited college and university in the United States offers specialized services for veterans; our list is exclusively reserved for the schools that qualified for the U.S. News & World Report ranking, participate in the SOC and Yellow Ribbon programs, and accept ACE credit from military courses and trainings. The colleges and universities below are not ranked. They are listed alphabetically.

THE SCHOOL LIST

For more information on these, go to http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/best-us-colleges-for-veterans/# 

1. 1. Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ

2. 2. Auburn University – Auburn, AL

3. 3. Azusa Pacific University – Azusa, CA

4. 4. Boston University – Boston, MA

5. 5. Colorado State University – Fort Collins, CO

6. 6. Florida Institute of Technology – Melbourne, FL

7. 7. George Mason University – Fairfax, VA

8. 8. Georgetown University – Washington, D.C.

9. 9. Indiana University–​Bloomington – Bloomington, IN

10. 10. Iowa State University – Ames, IA

11. 11. Maryville University – St. Louis, MO

12. 12. Mississippi State University – Mississippi State, MS

13. 13. Northeastern University – Boston, MA

14. 14. Northwestern University – Evanston, IL

15. 15. Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, OK

16. 16. Pace University – New York, NY

17. 17. Pennsylvania State University – State College, PA

18. 18. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–Newark – Newark, NJ

19. 19. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–​New Brunswick – New Brunswick, NJ

20. 20. Seton Hall University – South Orange Village, NJ

21. 21. Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY

22. 22. University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, AL

23. 23. University of Arizona – Tucson, AZ

24. 24. University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR

25. 25. University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH

26. 26. University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA

27. 27. University of La Verne – La Verne, CA

28. 28. University of Louisville – Louisville, KY

29. 29. University of Maine – Orono, ME

30. 30. University of Massachusetts–​Amherst – Amherst, MA

31. 31. University of North Carolina–​Chapel Hill – Chapel Hill, NC

32. 32. University of North Dakota – Grand Forks, ND

33. 33. University of Oklahoma – Norman, OK

34. 34. University of South Carolina – Columbia, SC

35. 35. University of South Florida – Tampa, FL

36. 36. University of Tennessee – Knoxville, TN

37. 37. University of Texas–​Austin – Austin, TX

38. 38. University of Texas–​Dallas – Dallas, TX

39. 39. University of Wisconsin–​Madison – Madison, WI

40. 40. West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV