UGA among top-50 best schools for military veterans, according to this ranking

UGA students head to class on the first day of the fall semester in Athens, Ga., on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. UGA is ranked No. 37 on MilitaryTimes' list of best schools for veterans.
UGA students head to class on the first day of the fall semester in Athens, Ga., on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. UGA is ranked No. 37 on MilitaryTimes' list of best schools for veterans.

Military Times ranked 325 colleges and universities that are the best for veterans, with four of the top 50 being in Georgia.

The University of Georgia ranked No. 37 on the Military Times Best for Vets 2023 Colleges list. UGA offers the Student Veteran Resource Center as a place to connect with veterans or navigate financial aid, among other services. UGA is also ranked No. 1 as the most military friendly Tier 1 research university, according to Viqtory Media's rankings of Military Friendly Schools 2023-2024. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked UGA's online master's degree program in education at No. 1 for veterans.

As of 2022, there were 98 undergraduates and 169 graduate/professionals enrolled at UGA who identified as student veterans, reserve or active duty.

Three other Georgia schools also made the top 50 of the Military Times list. Georgia State University, located in Atlanta, topped the Georgia school with its No. 4 overall ranking. Georgia Southern University, with its main campus located in Statesboro and additional campuses in Savannah and Hinesville, ranked No. 33. Mercer University, located in Macon and auxiliary campuses in Savannah, Atlanta and Columbus, ranked No. 48.

The University of the Incarnate Word, a private, Catholic university in Texas with its main campus in San Antonio and Alamo Heights, was the No. 1 overall school on the Military Times ranking.

According to Postsecondary National Policy Institute, nearly 5% of all undergraduates were veterans in academic year 2015 to 2016.

Veterans tend to enroll in minority-serving institutions and are a bit older than the traditional college-aged student of 18 to 24 years old, with 57% of student veterans being 30 or older, compared to 21% of non-veterans, according to PNPI.

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This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia State, UGA among best schools for veterans, Military Times says