KU ranks among top schools for veterans

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas is among the top 25 best colleges in the country for veterans, according to Military Times, a publication serving U.S. military personnel.

Earlier this month the publication released its fourth-annual “Best for Vets” survey results, ranking KU 23 among 86 four-year schools. The results are being published in the November issue of Military Times EDGE magazine. KU was the only institution of higher education from Kansas on the list.

The full Best for Vets: Colleges 2014 rankings are available online.

For this year’s survey, Military Times said that it placed a new emphasis on academic rigor when conducting and scoring their colleges survey. The survey also factored in statistics commonly used to track student success and academic quality, including student loan default rates, retention rates, graduation rates and student-faculty ratio.

The rankings factored in service member enrollment, percentage of tuition covered by the GI Bill and availability of specific programs to help service members.

“We are pleased to be recognized again as a top university for student veterans,” said Mike Denning, director of the Office of Graduate Military Programs and a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel. “Actually, we are a top university for the top student veterans. I am very excited about the growing number of veterans who are transitioning from the military and choosing KU as their home. We have a great opportunity to build on our past successes and find new and meaningful ways to lift these men and women who served our country."