AUSTIN, Texas — UT Austin is the No. 6 best college for veterans in the country and the best in Texas, according to a new ranking from the career website Zippia.
The ranking, which includes 517 four-year public colleges, considers veteran graduation rates, the percentage of veteran graduates earning $28,000 or more a year, and the percentage of student tuition spent on instruction compared with the portion spent on other administrative costs.
The UT Austin veteran graduation rate is 80%, and 77% earn more than $28,000 upon graduating with a UT degree. There are 1.7 million military veterans in Texas and 40,000 in the Austin area, making UT Austin geographically convenient for many former service members.
Other schools in the top 10 include the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of North Carolina; the University of Washington; and Texas A&M University, which ranked No. 7.
UT Austin offers a variety of resources for student veterans, including a full-time, on-site Veteran Affairs counselor who specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, sleep issues and anxiety. The university also offers scholarships, professional guidance on using veteran benefits, and career services.
A UT Austin MBA alumnus started (while a student) the Vetted Foundation, a transition program that identifies and prepares top veteran talent for industry placement.
In September, UT Austin also launched the Institute for Military & Veteran Family Wellness, a joint effort between the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the Dell Medical School. The institute helps the families of veterans in the Austin area address the effects of wartime trauma and transition from military to civilian life.
