Southwestern Illinois College announced today, Feb. 26, 2021, that it has earned the designation of 2021-2022 Top 10 Military Friendly ® School.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with 747 earning the designation.
“We’re very proud to provide a welcoming environment for our active-duty military and veteran students, and help them earn a college education through their education benefits,” said SWIC President Nick Mance. “In addition, we’ve enjoyed a longstanding mutually beneficial partnership with Scott Air Force Base.”
SWIC has the largest population of student veterans of all colleges and universities in the state. Ten percent of currently enrolled students use military educational benefits.
Established in 1946, SWIC serves the more than 300,000 residents of Community College District 522 through campuses in Belleville, Granite City and Red Bud plus numerous off-campus sites, including Scott Air Force Base and the East St. Louis Higher Education Center.
SWIC offers more than 150 affordable degree and certificate program options – including online and accelerated courses – for students who want to transfer to a university or prepare to enter the workforce. Articulation agreements with public and private colleges and universities help to ensure the transfer process is seamless for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at militaryfriendly.com.
Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly ® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community.
Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources, within a logic-based scoring assessment. Military Friendly also measures 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.
“Military Friendly ® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data driven standards in our designation process. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to consistently evolve and invest in their programs. Schools who achieve designation show true commitment and dedication in their efforts. Our standards assist schools by providing a benchmark that promotes positive educational outcomes, resources, and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community,” said Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly ®
For information about SWIC student veteran programs, visit swic.edu/veterans.
About Military Friendly ® Schools: The Military Friendly ® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to
the proprietary, data -driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all post-secondary schools that wish to participate.
Criteria for consideration can be found at militaryfriendly.com.
Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs® and Military Friendly® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about VIQTORY at viqtory.com.