Northwest annually celebrates veterans and their families during its Military Appreciation football game. The University recently is a Military Friendly institution for the ninth consecutive year. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

Victory Media, a media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Northwest Missouri State University a Military Friendly School for 2020-2021 in recognition of the University’s commitment to embracing military service members, veterans and their family members and ensuring their success on campus.

This marks the ninth consecutive year Northwest has been named on the list, which honors colleges, universities and trade schools that deliver the best experience for military students.

“Northwest is dedicated to continually reassessing the barriers facing the student veteran population and providing resources to help student veterans achieve their academic goals,” Brady Willis, a transfer academic advisor at Northwest and U.S. Army veteran said. “The Military-Friendly designation provides Northwest with a platform to build upon the resources provided by the institution to help the student military population.”

In its profile of the University, Victory Media cites Northwest’s more than 200 rigorous academic programs, small class sizes, opportunities for student employment, profession-based learning, high graduation and career placement rates. “Many resources, including the Student Success Center, Writing Center, Math Lab, Career Cervices, and faculty advisors, are available to help students be successful throughout their time at Northwest and after,” the report states.

Northwest, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, offers a range of degree and certification programs that benefit military students. The University is VA approved and gives credit for the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). Northwest also follows American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations when granting credit for military experience or from other regionally accredited institutions as transcripts are evaluated by the Office of Admissions.

Further enhancing its services for veterans, Northwest partners with several veterans organizations and regularly hosts a veterans service officer to assist with filing for VA benefits. Northwest participates in several federal and Missouri state programs such as the GI Bill and Missouri Returning Heroes and offers a variety of scholarships for military personnel and veterans, including a National Guard Scholarship to assist military students with housing. For more information about resources available to veterans at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/veterans/.

In partnership with the Missouri Army National Guard, Northwest also offers the Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program to develop qualified Missouri citizens into commissioned officers through classroom instruction, leadership laboratories and a physical conditioning program.

Now in its 19th year, the Military Friendly Schools list annually provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families, using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students and proprietary survey information from participating organizations. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school.

More than 1,000 schools participated in the most recent survey, with 625 schools earning the designation. The complete list of Military Friendly Schools is available at  www.militaryfriendly.com.

About Northwest Missouri State University

With an enrollment of about 7,100 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its  Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905, Northwest is home to the Missouri Arboretum and has been named one of the “ 50 Most Amazing University Botanical Gardens and Arboretums in the U.S.”

Northwest’s graduation rate is in the 90th percentile among its peers with 71 percent of students graduating with a college degree. In addition, 97 percent of Northwest bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation, according to the most recent data.  Zippia, a career website, names Northwest the best college in Missouri for getting a job.

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the  Horace Mann Laboratory School,  National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm,  Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or  Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency.

Furthermore, its vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and  textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $7,400 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit  www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.