Old Dominion University in 'Best for Vets' Rankings for Fifth Year in a Row

For the fifth year in a row, Old Dominion University has been ranked in the top 30 schools in the U.S. deemed "Best for Vets" by the national publication Military Times.

The University placed 29th in the annual rankings of more than 175 schools, which are released just before Veterans Day. ODU is the only four-year institution in Virginia that placed in the top 30 nationally.

Military Times, which consists of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times, releases the rankings as a scorecard for how well colleges and universities meet the needs of student veterans.

ODU offers a range of services for student veterans through its Military Connection Center and Student Veterans Association. With thriving Army and Naval ROTC units, a Veterans Business Outreach Center and countless collaborative efforts with local and regional military installations, ODU is proud of its abundant military links.

"We are thrilled to be recognized by Military Times as 'Best for Vets' for the fifth straight year," said Bill Brown, director of the University's Military Connection Center. "I think it's just as accurate to say vets are 'best' for Old Dominion. Our campus is enriched greatly by the experience and passion that our veterans bring every day."

More than 25 percent of ODU's student body has a direct connection to the military, including many veterans.

To calculate the rankings, Military Times scored survey responses based on what veterans said is important to them. Schools were evaluated in five categories: university culture, student support, academic quality, academic policies and financial aid.

Rankings also considered the participation of a college or university in the Yellow Ribbon program through the Department of Veterans Affairs, the level of staff and faculty support, extracurricular activities, accreditation, the retention rate and the graduation rate.

Military Times said it ranked ODU in the top 30 because of the resources for student veterans, extracurricular activities and the retention rate for veteran students.

The rankings are published in full in the November issue of Military Times, the premier publication for military transition, and online at MilitaryTimes.com, ArmyTimes.com, NavyTimes.com, AirForceTimes.com and MarineCorpsTimes.com.

The top 30 four-year schools, top 10 online and nontraditional schools, and top 10 two-year schools will be compared in the issues of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times that will be released the week of Veterans Day.

This article originally appeared in InsideODU. By Brandon O'Hallarn.