BOZEMAN — In recognition of its efforts to help student veterans succeed, Montana State University has been named a Top Ten Military Friendly School by the website MilitaryFriendly.com, ranking third in the nation among peer institutions.

The honor is MSU’s highest ever from the organization. It comes after MSU was ranked ninth last year, earned a gold ranking in 2020, and earned a silver ranking in 2016. Now in its 21st year, the Military Friendly Schools list is considered one of the premier nationwide rankings that veterans and their families look to when considering higher education, according to Joseph Schumacher, director of MSU Veteran Services.

Schumacher said ranking No. 3 in the nation this year is a testament to a “huge team effort” at Montana State to provide support and resources to student veterans.

“There are so many gems on our campus – so many people and programs doing incredible things,” Schumacher said. “Once we connect students with these resources, and they utilize them, we see success.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and survey information universities submitted. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-23 survey, and 665 schools earned a designation as gold, silver or bronze.

The level of the awards – whether Top 10, gold, silver or bronze – was determined by universities’ survey results and their ability to meet benchmarks for keeping students in school, graduation rates, job placement and rates of loan repayment and default for all students and, specifically, student veterans. 

MSU Veteran Services offers multiple ways to help student veterans succeed. Among them are a veteran mentor program; a dedicated veteran counselor who, in partnership with MSU Counseling and Psychological Services, offers free and confidential counseling to veteran students; emergency transition services, including assistance with housing, childcare and food security; and free tutoring and advising.

In November, MSU celebrated the opening of its new Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center in the repurposed Romney Hall. The new facility is more than three times as large as the previous location and provides dedicated space in the heart of the Montana State campus along with trained staff to help veteran students.

Schumacher called the new space a “huge commitment” from MSU and the state of Montana. The Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center, as part of extensive renovations to Romney Hall, was made possible by $25 million in funding from the Montana Legislature and private donations, including $1 million from the Gianforte Family Foundation.

“Here at MSU you see the words ‘military friendly’ put into action through the allocation of resources and prioritization of services to help veteran students succeed,” Schumacher said. “We are grateful to the university and to the state of Montana for the new Travis Atkins Veteran Support Center and for seeing this service to student veterans as valuable and important.”

In addition, Schumacher said that MSU President Waded Cruzado’s longstanding commitment to student veterans is notable.

“From the moment she arrived on campus, President Cruzado advocated for additional resources and space for the growing student veteran population,” Schumacher said. “We would not have the Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center without her leadership and support.”

Schumacher added that the team at MSU is excited about its work with student veterans, and the ranking from MilitaryFriendly.com is a great way to bring attention to that work.

“We hope folks see this as an opportunity to come here and be part of our community,” he said.