Courtesy of Morgan State University
For a third time, Morgan State University, under the leadership of its Veterans Engagement Services, has been ranked as a “Best for Vets” College by one of the foremost publications for service members and their families, Military Times. The publication recently released its 2023 Best for Vets: College Rankings, which saw Morgan return to the rankings as a result of the University’s stellar programs and services geared toward students who are also veterans. Best for Vets is the largest and most comprehensive unbiased annual ranking of schools for military service members and veterans.Each year, Military Times surveys colleges and universities nationwide, inquiring about their programs for veterans. The survey results are then analyzed by the Military Times data team, along with public data about colleges and universities obtained from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and are made into an official ranking. This year, 325 schools made the list, an increase of nearly 5% over the previous year.
“We are honored to serve those who have served our country. We are thankful for the rankings and designations that we have received, as they reflect our continued commitment to providing critical services to our active duty and veteran military students,” said Shirleene Prioleau, assistant registrar for Veterans Engagement Services. “Supporting the veteran population is a viable part of the University’s efforts to ensure that our veterans, their spouses, dependents and caregivers are acknowledged, not just for their service to the country but to our community as well.”
Housed within Morgan’s Office of the Registrar, Veterans Engagement Services is a primary resource for student veterans, their spouses or dependents and their survivors who choose to come to Morgan State University. The office provides student support services internally and externally while providing a veteran-friendly atmosphere and a keen understanding of the challenges associated with military service members’ and veterans’ efforts to fulfill their college educational needs. Morgan offers a variety of veteran-focused programs and services to assist in this regard.
Third-party rankings have become a go-to resource for schools to spread the word about their veteran programs and help veterans make important decisions about their educational planning and how to use the education benefits they earned through military service.
Military Friendly SchoolIn addition to the “Best for Vets” ranking, Morgan earned the 2023–2024 Military Friendly School designation, gold status. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023–2024 survey, with 665, including Morgan, earning special awards for exceeding the standard in several categories important to military students. Morgan also received a Military Friendly Spouse School designation.
Methodology, criteria and weightings for the Military Friendly School designations were determined by Viqtory, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment and educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government agency/public data sources within a logic-based scoring assessment measuring an institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students, specifically for student veterans.
Morgan is also a past recipient of the Top College/University for Military Advanced Education and Transition designation.