Albany State, Albany Tech rank high for military friendliness

ALBANY — Southwest Georgia universities and colleges have been rated military friendly for 2018, with Albany State University attaining Top 10 gold ranking and Albany Technical College being awarded bronze status in their respective categories.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus and Valdosta State University all received military friendly designations.

Albany State ranked No. 7 among small public institutions in the rankings by MilitaryFriendly.com.

Albany Tech received bronze ranking because its programs are within 40 percent of the 10th-ranked institution within a category. ATC’s category was small community colleges.

According to a news release from Albany Tech, institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. Also, for the first time, student survey data were taken into consideration for the designation. More than 1,300 schools participated in the 2017-18 survey with 849 earning the designation.

Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Victory Media with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community, the release stated. 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.

“Our ability to apply a clear, consistent standard to colleges creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to invest in programs to provide educational outcomes that are better for veterans,” Victory Media’s chief product officer, Daniel Nichols, said

ASU exceeded Military Friendly’s standards for academic policies and compliance by 48 percent; admission and orientation by 37 percent; culture and environment by 92 percent; financial aid and assistance by 5 percent; graduation and career by 46 percent, and military student support and retention by 86 percent.

Albany Tech exceeded Military Friendly’s standards for academic policies and compliance by 71 percent; admission and orientation by 36 percent; culture and environment by 28 percent; financial aid and assistance by 1 percent; graduation and career by 51 percent, and military student support and retention by 42 percent.

ABAC, in the category of small public institutions, exceeded Military Friendly’s standards for academic policies and compliance by 93 percent; admission and orientation by 63 percent; culture and environment by 38 percent; financial aid and assistance by 21 percent; graduation and career by 9 percent, and military student support and retention by 37 percent.

GSW, also in the small public category, exceeded Military Friendly’s standards for academic policies and compliance by 62 percent; admission and orientation by 16 percent; culture and environment by 10 percent; financial aid and assistance by 17 percent; graduation and career by 76 percent, and military student support and retention by 11 percent.

VSU, in the large public institutions category, exceeded Military Friendly’s standards for academic policies and compliance by 93 percent; admission and orientation by 70 percent; culture and environment by 97 percent; financial aid and assistance by 9 percent; graduation and career by 9 percent, and military student support and retention by 23 percent.

Terry Lewis