NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University has earned the 2020-21 Military Friendly School designation from VIQTORY, publisher of G.I. Jobs. This Northwestern State’s 10th time to receive the designation.
Now in its 19th year, the Military Friendly Schools list has come to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their spouses. This prestigious list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students and proprietary survey information from participating organizations.
“Northwestern State University is proud of its 136-year tradition of academic excellence and recognizes the valuable contributions made by our veterans and military personnel,” said Dr. Darlene Williams, vice president for technology, innovation, and economic development at NSU. “Northwestern State provides service capabilities that extend from the main campus in Natchitoches to NSU@Barksdale, NSU-Leesville/Ft. Polk, NSU’s Cenla campus in Alexandria and NSU-Shreveport. It is an honor to be recognized as a Military Friendly Institution, and we will continue to explore opportunities that will enhance and expand services in support of our goal of providing exceptional student service.”
Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. Student survey data was also taken into consideration for the designation.
The 2020-2021 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine. The list can also be found at militaryfriendly.com.
Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by VIQTORY 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 scores with the assessment of the 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 and, specifically, for student veterans.
The Military Friendly Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. Ernst & Young, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, independently evaluated the scoring methodology used for the Military Friendly Schools list using the criteria set forth by VIQTORY.
The university has more than 40 degree programs available online through nsula.edu/ensu. Information on Northwestern State’s services for veterans is available at nsula.edu/registrar/veterans-affairs.
