On October 29, 2019, the Military Times published their Best Colleges for Veterans 2020 report. Institutions of higher learning were invited to complete a 150-question survey centered around their active duty service members and veteran students. The survey responses, in addition to data from three other sources, were compiled to come up with their list.
what makes a top school for vets?
Of the 47 Two-Year and Career/Technical Schools making their list – down from the 54 on last year’s list – the ones in the chart below all share the same criteria regarding veteran students:
- All are public schools and accept the Post 9/11 GI Bill
- Have signed DoD Memorandum of Agreement required to accept Tuition Assistance for active duty members – tuition is at or below TA per credit limit
- Have a Veteran’s Center – either a center, office or virtual application for online students
- Are regionally accredited – more widely accepted than national accreditation
- Have GI Bill gap coverage – schools have agreed to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs by accepting the Post 9/11 GI Bill and/or offering the Yellow Ribbon Program
- Have the best military/veteran student Retention and Graduation rates – indicators how happy veterans are at the school
Top Five 2-Year Schools
| School | Palm Beach State College* | Pasadena City College | Central Lakes College | Central Community College * | Norco College* |
| Location | Lake Worth,
FL
|
Pasadena,
CA |
Brainard,
MN |
Grand Island,
NE |
Noroco,
CA |
| Vets Center | C/O/V | C/O | C/O/V | C/O/V | C/O |
| Accreditation | SACS | WASC-ACCJC | HLC | HLC | WASC-ACCJC |
| Retention Rate | 76% | 67% | 69% | 58% | 73% |
| Graduation Rate | 71% | 48% | 43% | 42% | 66% |
| Notes | Includes Corporate and Continuing Ed Courses | Offers Courses in Six Career Communities | Has Courses in 10 Different Career Areas | Program Offers are Heavy in Healthcare | Programs Offered Heavy in Business and STEM |
The career and technical schools in the chart below also share all of the same criteria as two-year schools with the exception of the first school being private, but a good one based on it having the second highest retention rate and third highest graduation rate of the five schools in the chart.
Top Five Career and Technical Schools for Veterans
| School | Keiser University | Savannah Technical College* | Gwinnett Technical College* | Dakota County Technical College | Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology * |
| Location | Fort Lauderdale,
FL |
Savannah,
GA |
Lawrenceville, GA | Rosemount,
MN |
Okmulgee, OK |
| Type of School | Private | Public | Public | Public | Public |
| Vets Center | C/O | C/O | C/O/V | C/O | C/O |
| Accreditation | SACS | SACS | SACS | HLC | HLC |
| Retention Rate | 87% | 57% | 70% | 51% | 97% |
| Graduation Rate | 62% | 74% | 42% | 50% | 75% |
| Notes | Offers an AA Degree in Homeland Security | Offers Cyber-Security; Heavy with Courses in the Trades | Offers 140 Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs | Offers Courses in Nine Different Departments | Offers AS Degree in Applied Sciences and Sciences |
Legend:
* On this list second year in a row
Vets Center
- C – Center
- O – Office
- V – Virtual
Regional Accreditation
- HLC – The Higher Learning Commission (North Central Association of Colleges and Schools)
- SACS – Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- WASC-ACCJC: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
The two-year community colleges and career/technical schools in this report offer a great way for veterans or active duty service members to use their Post 9/11 GI Bill or Tuition Assistance, respectively and get trained in a career field in two years or less. Three each of the two-year schools and career/technical schools made the list for the second year in a row – a testament to the school’s credibility.
