ORANGE PARK – St. Johns River State College has earned a 2023-2024 Military Friendly School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-2024 survey, with 665 earning special awards for exceeding the standard.

The Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Schools earn the designation with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent higher education and military recruitment community leaders. 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.

According to SJR State President Joe Pickens, the college is committed to connecting military service members, veterans and their families with the services and resources they need to reach their personal and academic goals.

“At SJR State, we understand the unique challenges Veterans face when returning to civilian life and the importance of investing in their future,” Pickens said. “We recognize their service and strive daily to match that level of commitment as they transition into higher education and develop their strengths and skills into a new career path.”

“Military Friendly is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process. Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide an opportunity for the Military Community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard,” said Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly.

For more information about SJR State’s student veteran programs, visit https://www.sjrstate.edu/veterans.