BOONE, N.C. — For the second consecutive year, Appalachian State University has received the Top 10 Military Friendly® School designation from VIQTORY, landing the No. 6 spot in the large public schools category for 2021–22. The university’s support of student veterans and military-affiliated students has earned it national recognition as a Military Friendly School for more than a decade.
Additionally, App State was the only top-10 school from North Carolina named in the category and advanced two positions above the No. 8 ranking it received for the 2020–21 academic year.
“App State’s continued status as a Top 10 Military Friendly School recognizes our success in helping our student veterans and active-duty military members work toward and achieve their educational goals,” said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. “We highly value our military community of active-duty service members and their families, as well as student, faculty and staff veterans, and we work daily to strengthen services and resources that support these individuals.”
Schools earning the Military Friendly Schools designation for 2021–22 were assessed based on the following six categories:
- Student retention.
- Graduation rates.
- Job placement.
- Loan repayment.
- Persistence rates (degree advancement).
- Loan default rates.
Jennifer Coffey ’04 ’16, program director of student veteran services at App State, said, “Appalachian’s designation as a Military Friendly School for more than a decade is a testament to the culture of care and concern that exists on this campus, particularly among those who have gone above and beyond, on countless occasions, to support our military-affiliated students.”
Coffey cited the many “hardworking and dedicated advocates” on App State’s campus — including members of the university’s Military Affairs Committee — as one of the driving forces behind App State’s ability to maintain its status as a Military Friendly School.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021–22 survey.
The 2021–22 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
The Military Friendly Schools list is aimed at service members and their families, helping them select the best college, university or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.
For this academic year, 342 student veterans and active-duty military members are enrolled at App State.
Learn more about student veteran services at App State.
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About VIQTORY
Founded in 2001, VIQTORY (formerly known as Victory Media) is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur®, STEM JobsSM and Military Friendly® brands. Learn more at https://www.viqtory.com.
A Military Friendly School since 2010
Since 2010, VIQTORY (formerly known as Victory Media), the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has awarded Appalachian State University the designation of Military Friendly® School. The designation places App State in the top 15% of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. In addition to a number of existing services, the university opened the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center in November 2016.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.