ECPI University, the for-profit parent organization of Columbia’s ECPI College of Technology, has been ranked No. 2 in the nation in the Military Times’ best colleges for veterans.
The Military Times Best: Colleges 2018 (formerly known as Best for Vets) rankings reflect the results of the military news publication’s annual survey, which assesses schools’ veteran and military student services and levels of academic achievement.
More than 600 schools participated in this year’s survey. ECPI, based in Virginia Beach, Va., ranked second among career and technical colleges, a category that includes community colleges and four-year, career-focused colleges and universities.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for our commitment to skill-based education,” said Bob Larned, ECPI University executive director of military education, in a news release.
Less than half of the schools that applied earned Military Times best colleges designation. The survey requires institutions to document services, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties and to describe the campus culture for veterans.
Military Times also considered data from the U.S. departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, in addition to three Education Department sources.
“Only the best made the cut,” said George Altman, the Military Times editor in charge of the rankings.
Florida-based Saint Leo University, which has branches at Shaw Air Force Base and in Sumter and North Charleston, ranked eighth in the country among online and nontraditional schools.
In addition to its main campus in St. Leo, Florida, the university has more than 35 locations. Many are on military bases, including a location at Naval Station Norfolk.
"Saint Leo remains committed to educating our active-duty military, veterans, and their families,” said Dr. William J. Lennox Jr., Saint Leo University president. “I am proud of the university’s dedication to the U.S. military. Saint Leo recognizes the special needs of those serving, as well as their families, and the university strives to provide the best educational opportunities for them.”