Photo caption: Veterans from UW-Eau Claire and the community kayaked on the Chippewa River on Nov. 11, 2020, in honor of Veterans Day. UW-Eau Claire is designated a military-friendly institution in an annual survey conducted by military media company VIQTORY.
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire improved its ranking as a military-friendly institution in an annual survey of nearly 1,700 postsecondary schools in the nation.
UW-Eau Claire is among four Wisconsin public universities that received silver medal rankings in the 2021 rankings released Feb. 17 by military media company VIQTORY. The silver-medal designation is given to institutions that are ranked within 20% of the overall top 10 schools. No Wisconsin public universities ranked higher than UW-Eau Claire.
In 2020, UW-Eau Claire received a bronze-medal ranking, given to schools ranked within 30% of the overall top 10.
The ranking reflects UW-Eau Claire’s commitment to meeting the needs of students who served their country in the military, says Miranda Cross-Schindler, the university’s military and veterans services manager. It’s an honor, she says, for the university to again be recognized as a military-friendly institution.
“We place great value on the sacrifices these students made while serving our country,” Cross-Schindler says. “We do all we can to make sure that their transition to college is as smooth as possible and that they have the support systems in place to have a rewarding and memorable academic career at UW-Eau Claire.”
UW-Eau Claire has nearly 500 military-connected students on campus.
Cross-Schindler noted that UW-Eau Claire has a dedicated office to help military veterans navigate the higher-education process to ensure they receive all the educational benefits they’ve earned.
Students who are military veterans or actively serving the military also can use the campus Veterans Center to study, socialize and build camaraderie with students who have had similar experiences, Cross-Schindler says.
Schools in the military-friendly survey were queried about their academic policies and compliance; student support and retention; culture and commitment; admissions; graduation and career outcomes; and financial aid and loan repayment.
