OSU makes Military Times top 100 in first year to enter survey
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Military Times has included Oklahoma State University among the top 100 in its ‘best colleges’ rankings for 2018, which is based on its annual comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement.
Now in its eighth year, the editorially independent survey evaluates the many factors that help make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families. More than 600 colleges took part in this year’s detailed survey.
"Of the hundreds of schools that applied, just about a third (218) received the ‘Military Times Best: Colleges’ designation this year. Only the best made the cut," said George Altman, the Military Times editor in charge of the rankings.
“We are very proud to be ranked by Military Times in its top 100 colleges, especially since this is the first time we entered this annual survey. Considering our office was established two short years ago, it’s quite an achievement for OSU,” said Rick Hansen, coordinator of Veteran Student Academic Services at OSU. “It is now our responsibility to continue to grow initiatives to support our veteran and military-affiliated students on campus as they prepare to transition to civilian careers and see what a great educational choice we offer.”
Military Times’ annual Best Colleges survey asks colleges and universities to meticulously document a tremendous array of services, special rules, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties; and to describe many aspects of veteran culture on a campus. Military Times also factors in data from the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments, as well as three Education Department sources: the IPEDS Data Center, College Scorecard data and the Cohort Default Rate Database.
The rankings are published in a Military Times magazine sent to subscribers in November, as well as online at MilitaryTimes.com, ArmyTimes.com, NavyTimes.com, AirForceTimes.com and MarineCorpsTimes.com.
The primary task of the Veteran Student Academic Services office at OSU is to coordinate with campus, community, state and federal organizations to provide services to more than 850 veterans and military-affiliated students in Stillwater. The office is also in charge of the Veterans Success Center on campus, which offers veteran students a place to study, interact and seek academic assistance in transitioning to college life.