CSU earns Gold rank in 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School Designation

By Jenna Johnson | June 1, 2023

Charleston Southern University ranks Gold for Military Friendly status. Pictured are CSU’s AFROTC graduates in 2023. Photo by Ty Cornett

Charleston Southern University announced that it has earned the 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School designation yet again, this year hitting Gold status. CSU moved up the ranks to Silver a few years ago.

“As a military retiree, I can say from more than three decades of experience that our military and veteran communities are worthy of our best efforts — and then some,” President Dr. Dondi Costin said. “They deserve the gold standard represented by Charleston Southern’s receipt of this Gold status. Of all the recognition we could receive, being named one of the most military friendly universities in the country may be our proudest moment.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both 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 going above the standard.

The 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Schools list is published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

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.

“Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process,” said Kayla Lopez, national director of military partnerships with Military Friendly®. “Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide 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.”

For more information about Charleston Southern’s student veteran programs, visit charlestonsouthern.edu/veterans.