We received more than 150 responses to this year’s Best for Vets: Business Schools survey. Only institutions that participated in our detailed Best for Vets: Colleges survey and offer graduate business degrees were considered. To create the rankings, we scored schools’ survey responses to both the Business Schools survey and parts of the Colleges survey, based on what veterans have told us is important to them as well as on our own editorial judgment. We also factored in Education Department statistics commonly used to track student success and academic quality. Overall, schools were evaluated in five categories: university culture, student support, academic outcomes and quality, academic policies, and cost and financial aid. The value of each section was comparable, but university culture and student support counted the most, and financial aid counted the least. Many factors other than those listed in the chart were considered to develop the rankings.
Main story and list: The top 75 Best for Vets: Business Schools 2015.
Fall 2014 enrollment data show the number of students enrolled in graduate business programs in the fall 2014 semester, as reported by the schools. Military enrollment figures are measured similarly and apply to service members and veterans actually tracked by a school, not just students using military-related benefits, except where otherwise indicated.
At or below TA cap means graduate business programs did not exceed the military tuition assistance limit of $250 per credit hour for active-duty students in the 2013-14 school year.
Charged at or below Post-9/11 limits means a school indicated that no Post-9/11 GI Bill recipient in graduate business programs at the school, eligible at the 100 percent level, was charged a tuition rate above what the Post-9/11 GI Bill covered in the 2013-14 school year. Public schools must waive out-of-state tuition rates for this to be the case; private schools must not exceed the $19,198.31 cap.
Yellow Ribbon rates a school’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, under which a school and the Veterans Affairs Department partner to partially or completely make up the difference between a school’s tuition rate and the amount covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Schools with “n/a” indicated that Post-9/11 fully covered their tuition costs, so Yellow Ribbon was not needed. Stars are awarded based on the proportion of students receiving Yellow Ribbon scholarships and the value of those awards. Best rating = four stars.
Accepts ACE-recommended credits means the business school accepts at least some academic credits for military training as recommended by the American Council on Education.
Staff support rates the number of staff members dedicated to veterans issues, the amount of time they spend on veterans issues and the scope and frequency of military-related training for teachers and administrators. Staff help at both the business school and the larger university are considered.
Academic support rates the types of academic help provided, such as tutoring, mentors and learning communities, and also considers whether there is a separate version of these types of support for veterans. Support at both the business school and larger university are evaluated. The ratings also consider a business school’s withdrawal and re-enrollment policies for deployed service members.
Average GMAT shows the average Graduate Management Admission Test scores for applicants to the school for the fall 2014 semester, as reported by the school. Schools without scores either did not consider, or did not provide us information on, the GMAT scores of applicants.
