CSU ranked 6th on Military Times’ ‘Best for Vets’ list

FORT COLLINS — Military Times this week ranked Colorado State University sixth nationally among four-year colleges and universities on its “Best for Vets: Colleges 2017” rankings.

The ranking is seven spots higher than CSU landed last year, and CSU is the only school in Colorado to make the top 50.

The University of South Florida topped the list. Rutgers University, Syracuse University, Armstrong State University, and D’Youville College rounded out the top five.

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Military Times annually reviews more than 500 colleges and universities, evaluating several factors that make them a good fit for active military members, veterans and their families.

Nearly 2,000 veterans, dependents of veterans and active-duty personnel are enrolled at CSU.

“We’re on the right path when it comes to service to our veterans transitioning from the military to higher education and into sustainable careers, but there is more work to be done,” Mark Gill , CSU president Tony Frank’s chief of staff and a retired Air Force colonel, said in a news release. “Our goal is to continue to grow our programs and opportunities and ensure that every veteran finds success at CSU.”

Veteran-focused programs at CSU include:

• The Anschutz Veterans Learning Community, modeled after other successful learning communities at CSU, is helping student-veterans succeed academically.

• The creation of a Women’s Veteran Initiative to engage women student-veterans and continue to build community.

• A peer-mentoring program through which every new student-veteran is connected with a veteran peer mentor.

• Private donations from individuals and foundations, including the Anschutz Foundation, David and Gail Liniger of ReMax, and alumnus Dennis Repp, have significantly boosted scholarship and program funding.

• CSU hosted in October its biennial two-day Veterans Symposium, bringing together veterans, national veterans service leaders and employers to discuss and develop best practices for student-veterans.

• New Start for Student-Veterans, in the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Department of Occupational Therapy, works to help veterans with physical and mental trauma achieve college and career success.

• CSU recently unveiled a program offering up to $2,500 per semester for military spouses of CSU students who would also like to pursue degrees in higher education. The scholarship was made possible by the Anschutz Foundation.