Military Times honored Armstrong State University, ranking the institution 4th in the nation among four-year schools on its Best for Vets: Colleges 2017 list. This year marks the third consecutive year Armstrong has been included on the prestigious list. In 2016, Armstrong was ranked #7 in the U.S.
 
“We are deeply honored to be recognized once again by Military Times as one of the nation’s leading universities supporting active duty military students and veterans on campus,” said Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken. “Armstrong is committed to helping military students, veterans and their families achieve professional and personal success.”

The eighth annual rankings factor in the results of Military Times’ comprehensive school-by-school survey of veteran and military student offerings and rates of academic achievement. Military Times’ annual Best for Vets: Colleges survey asks colleges and universities to document the array of services, special rules, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties and to describe aspects of veteran culture on a campus. Awarded institutions were evaluated in several categories, with university culture and academic outcomes bearing the most weight.
 
Military Times also factors in data from the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments, as well as Education Department sources: the IPEDS Data Center, College Scorecard data and the Cohort Default Rate Database.
 
“We limit our list to encourage competition,” said Amanda Miller, editor of Best for Vets. “We genuinely hope this helps raise the bar for veterans on campus.”
 
The rankings will be published online at MilitaryTimes.com, as well as ArmyTimes.com, NavyTimes.com, AirForceTimes.com and MarineCorpsTimes.com as of Nov. 1; and will appear in full in a special magazine issue of Military Times on newsstands in mid-November.
 
Previously, Armstrong was honored as a Top 100 Military Spouse Friendly School by Military Spouse magazine and a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine. The university is ranked in the top 20 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide for its military friendly status. Armstrong also has a Green Zone program to support military affiliated students on campus through faculty and staff awareness training and currently waives all mandatory fees for active duty military.
 
In addition to providing a supportive campus environment for military students, Armstrong is also part of a network of universities that guarantees transferability of credits for military students, provides in-state tuition for members of the military and their families and offers college credit for military experience.
 
As a complement to Armstrong’s main campus in Savannah, the university operates the Armstrong Liberty Center in Hinesville, which helps members of the military community and their families pursue higher education and earn college degrees in key fields in Liberty County. A new expanded facility in downtown Hinesville opened to students in January 2016.
 
For the full Best for Vets: Colleges 2017 rankings, and survey methodology, go to www.militarytimes.com/bestforvets-colleges2017.