Top 13 Colleges for Veterans

Top 13 Colleges for Veterans

Contributed by Debbie Gregory

Members of the military transitioning back to civilian life face a bewildering array of colleges at which to use their hard-earned G.I. Bill benefits.

What makes a college veteran-friendly? First of all, they must recognize and value of their veteran students. Veterans bring with them a unique perspective and set of experiences, as well as the determination to succeed.

They should know that military service must never be treated as an extracurricular activity. Many military jobs are highly intellectually rigorous and require extensive technical training in an intense academic environment, which is why more and more, schools grant transfer college credit for many military courses and occupations.

But most important, colleges must be responsive to the unique needs of their student-veteran population. They should be willing to go the extra mile to ensure tuition is fully covered by the G.I. Bill, and commit to meeting any shortfalls through institutional aid in a predictable manner that adult, financially independent students with families and budgets can rely on when deciding whether to apply.

According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top 13 schools in the 2019 Best Colleges rankings that participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees:

1. Stanford University in Stanford, CA.
2. Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
3. Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
4. The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, CA
5. Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
6. University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, CA
7. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA
8. University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA
9. University of Michigan Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI
10. New York University in Greenwich Village area of Manhattan, NY
11. University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) in Santa Barbara, CA
12. University of California Irvine in Irvine, CA
13. University of Rochester in Rochester, NY