A well-known education and career resource for military veterans, plus the country’s most closely followed college rankings organization, have named Elmhurst College among the best colleges in the nation for veterans.
Elmhurst has been designated a 2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM Jobs and Military Spouse. The College also is ranked No. 10 in the Midwest on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 list of Best Colleges for Veterans.
Elmhurst College earned its rankings because it’s a place where military veterans can succeed for a number of reasons, including small class sizes, a convenient location for students who live in Chicago as well as the suburbs, and numerous opportunities for student veterans to be active across campus, said Jeremy Giacomino, military program coordinator for Elmhurst College.
“The transition from military to civilian life can certainly be difficult for some service members, but Elmhurst offers an environment where student veterans are not going to get lost in the crowd,” he said. “Faculty know their students by name, and continually work together with our staff to meet the needs of our students.”
The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success both in the classroom and after graduation.
Now in its seventh year, the Military Friendly® Schools designation provides service members and their families with transparent, data-driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities. Institutions competed for the title by completing a survey of more than 100 questions covering 10 categories, including military support on campus, graduation and employment outcomes, and military spouse policies.
“Post-secondary institutions earning the 2016 Military Friendly® School award have exceptionally strong programs for transitioning service members and spouses,” said Daniel Nichols, chief product officer of Victory Media and a Navy Reserve veteran. “Our Military Friendly® Schools are truly aligning their military programs and services with employers to help students translate military experience, skills and training into successful careers after graduation.”
U.S. News & World Report produced its Best Colleges for Veterans rankings to provide military veterans and active-duty service members with data on which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help them make pursuing a college education more affordable. The Best Colleges for Veterans are the top-ranked schools in the U.S. News 2016 Best Colleges rankings that also participate in federal initiatives, including the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, that help veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.
“As the number of student veterans on our campus increases each year, we are constantly looking at ways we can improve the experience for our current and incoming student veterans,” Giacomino said.