U.S. News & World Report issued its first “Best Colleges for Veterans” publication on November 20, and UNC Pembroke has a spot at number 20 among regional universities in the South. UNCP is the only regional public university in North Carolina to make the list, which ranked 234 schools across all the U.S.

U.S. News, which annually ranks U.S. colleges and universities, publishes popular guides to higher education. All of the schools listed in “Best Colleges for Veterans” scored well in terms of graduation rates, faculty resources, reputation and other markers of academic quality in the 2014 edition of the “U.S. News Best Colleges,” according to U.S. News.

This is the third accolade UNCP has earned in publications for veteran programs this fall. Earlier, GI Jobs and Advanced Military Education placed the university on their “GI friendly” lists.

Dr. Cammie Hunt, associate vice chancellor for Engaged Outreach, said the recognition from U.S. News is welcome.

“U.S. News publishes rankings of higher education institutions that more people look at than any other, so we are pleased to be recognized in this way,” Dr. Hunt said. “I believe that veterans and their families are well served by choosing UNC Pembroke as their school.”

Col. Mike Clawson (ret.) coordinates UNCP’s veterans programs at the Office of Military and Veteran Services.

“I am really excited every time UNCP is recognized nationally for its service to our nation’s veterans,” Clawson said. “Hats off to this university for recognizing many years ago and making a priority of going the extra mile for vets. UNCP is rewarded by enrolling many very high quality students.”

UNCP had 857 military-related students - service men and women, veterans and their family members - enrolled this fall. Clawson sees room to move up the list.

“We work with vets in many, many ways that are not visible too,” he said. “There are always ways to improve service.”  

UNCP has a staffed office and classrooms on Fort Bragg offering undergraduate programs in nursing, social work, criminal justice and business administration and graduate programs in physical education, public administration and social work.

At least 773,000 veterans and their family members have taken advantage of the GI Bill, which provides tuition and housing assistance to eligible veterans and their family members, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

As more veterans return to school, they are looking for high-quality colleges and universities that fit their needs. To help them in their search, U.S. News has launched its inaugural Best Colleges for Veterans rankings. U.S. News editor Brian Kelly noted.

“While all prospective students seek a good education from a reputable institution, our military veterans can take advantage of expanded educational benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill,” said Kelly, editor and chief content officer for U.S. News. “We developed these rankings to help them find a top-quality institution that also offers federal benefits that ease the burden of applying, paying for and completing a college degree.”

For information about programs for veterans please call the Office of Military and Veterans Services at 910.775.4438 or email veterans@uncp.edu. For information about courses on Fort Bragg, please contact the office at .910.436.4295 or email tiffany.dalminda@uncp.edu.