• Baylor again ranked among nation’s top 50 “Best Colleges for Veterans”

    A man in a "Veterans of Baylor" t-shirt

    The U.S. News & World ReportBest Colleges Rankings” each year are among the most discussed rankings in all of higher education, and Baylor routinely is ranked among the best. But there’s another ranking-within-the-ranking for the Baylor Family to be proud of: Once again in 2020, Baylor has been named among the top 50 Best Colleges for Veterans.

    Specifically, Baylor ranks 47th nationally for veterans — second in the Big 12, and second in Texas (behind only the University of Texas). For this honor, U.S. News pared its original “Best Colleges Rankings” down to include those schools that, on top of all they offer every student, participate in federal initiatives such as the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program that help veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.

    But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how Baylor supports current and former military students. Transitioning from military to civilian life — and then to college life — is no easy feat. What’s it like to be a civilian again? How do you handle a suddenly very unstructured class schedule? How can a person with very different experiences and in a very different life stage relate to 18- to 22-year-old students, much less make friends?

    With a tagline of “From salutes to sic ’ems!”, these are all issues that Baylor VETS (Veteran Educational and Transition Services) helps these unique students navigate. VETS has sponsored the creation of the Veterans Lounge, a special retreat for veterans inside the Paul L. Foster Success Center, and provides a Veterans Transition Course, mentor program, student organization, and specialized guidance on academics, career and professional development, and financial support.

    Veteran support isn’t limited to just one department at Baylor. Professors provide daily support in the classroom for military students, like this story that made national headlines a few years back. Joint Army-Baylor programs in health administration, business, and physical therapy have long brought together students from the military and civilian life (and are ranked among the best in the nation in their fields). And last but not least, memorial lampposts all across campus remind us daily of the sacrifices our fellow Bears have made.

    Sic ’em, Baylor veterans!