Vanguard University

Vanguard University Named a Top Ten Military Friendly® School

Orange County’s first four-year college nationally rated 8th most military friendly school in its category

COSTA MESA, Calif. (March 7, 2023) – Vanguard University (VU), the first four-year college in Orange County, is proud to announce it has received a top ten Military Friendly® School designation for the 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Cycle. What’s more, VU was ranked 8th nationally for the designation among private institutions providing baccalaureate and graduate degrees. 

Vanguard is dedicated to supporting its veteran and military-connected communities as they navigate the college campus in pursuit of their educational goals. The campus Veterans Resource Center (VRC) is staffed by veterans and dependents making the same journey as VU students, providing peer advising and mentoring opportunities for new students to Vanguard. VRC staff comes from all that Vanguard has to offer - Traditional Undergraduate, Professional Studies, and Graduate Education. Additionally, the Vanguard Veteran Club is designed to connect veteran and military-connected students to the campus community. The club is an opportunity for both social and service opportunities serving both Vanguard and the larger Orange County community.

“It is an incredible honor to be named a top ten Military Friendly® School for the 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Cycle. We are indebted to our outstanding faculty and staff who provide a quality education and care to our student veterans and veteran dependent students,” said VU President Dr. Michael Beals, PhD. “A veteran himself, our coordinator of Veterans Services and faculty member, Christopher Carroll, is an untiring advocate for those who have served our country in the armed forces, including the families of veterans. We are so grateful for his leadership and his dedication to both our university and our veterans through our Veterans Resource Center.”

The list of Military Friendly® Schools and Military Friendly® Schools ratings are assessed through the evaluation of both public data about the institution and proprietary data gathered through its free Military Friendly® Schools survey. The annual, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey assessment is offered at no cost to more than 8,800 institutions nationwide. Each year, schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than in previous years via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and our Advisory Council.

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 scores with the assessment of 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.

To learn more about Vanguard University and its Veteran Resource Center, please visit www.vanguard.edu.

About Vanguard University

Founded in 1920, Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, CA) is a private, Christian, comprehensive university of liberal arts, sciences and professional studies that encompasses more than 2,200 students from every region in the country, over 33,000 alumni worldwide, 100 full-time faculty, over 30 undergraduate programs and six graduate degree programs. A hallmark of a Vanguard education is collaborative scholarship in the arts and sciences, which foster the intellectual development, moral maturity, and spiritual vitality of its students for the public good. Rooted in a strong academic tradition and commitment to student success, Vanguard University is recognized by the U.S. News &; World Report 2023 rankings as a first-tier regional university in the West, a Top Performer on Social Mobility, a Best College in the West for Veterans, a Best Value School, and a Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program. Vanguard University represents a diverse student population, with 63 percent students of color, 44 percent Hispanic and nearly half of students the first in their family to attend college. Please visit www.vanguard.edu. 

About Military Friendly ® Schools

The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from 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 postsecondary schools that wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.