Cal State San Bernardino has once again been named a Military Friendly® School with gold ranking and a Military Spouse Friendly® School, both in the large public university category.

CSUSB, which earned gold for 2021-22 and 2022-23, is the only California State University to rank gold.

“This has been a banner year for the Veterans Success Center. Our Written By Veterans creative writing program has gained national recognition, with two of our veteran authors featured in documentaries, including one by renown documentarian Ken Burns,” said Agustin Ramirez, director of the university’s Veterans Success Center. “One of our student veterans has earned the prestigious Cal-Bridge Scholarship to support a doctoral degree in STEM. Another one of our student veterans has been featured in GI Jobs as one of 32 veterans nationwide making an impact. And now this incredible designation: gold status Military Friendly.”

According to the Military Friendly® website, institutions earning the Military Friendly® Schools Awards designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-24 survey, and 530 schools earned awards level designations in gold, silver and bronze. Two hundred and fifty were selected for gold award status for their leading practices, outcomes and effective programs. 

“I am proud of the work my staff do, and the success we foster. We are fortunate to have campus leadership that champions our mission and vision, and grateful for the outstanding support of our faculty and staff,” said Ramirez. “Through our collaborative efforts, we are able to craft innovative services and programs that support our students. If this year’s distinctions are any indicator, our students are finding success here at the Veterans Success Center.”

Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in higher education. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey responses and government/agency public data sources within a logic-based assessment. Military Friendly® measures the institution’s ability to meet and exceed thresholds for retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence and loan default rates for all students, and specifically, for student veterans.

According to the Military Friendly® website, the Military Spouse Friendly® Schools list has been a reliable resource for military spouses and has set a standard for higher education institutions to provide the best post-secondary education experiences for spouses of service members.

“In many ways, the Military Spouse Friendly designation is one of our highest honors,” said Ramirez. “Over the past few years, there is a growing movement to recognize, celebrate and – more importantly – support the work that military spouses do. Here at CSUSB we have been ahead of the curve in providing direct support as well as referral support for military spouses.”

CSUSB is one of 196 schools to earn the Military Spouse Friendly® designation this year. The list is created using data sources from federal agencies and proprietary survey information from participating organizations to create a comprehensive guide for military spouses looking to further their education.

“This Military Friendly designation recognizes our initiative and progress, and our commitment to all our military-connected students, not just veterans,” Ramirez said. “I’m proud that CSUSB and the VSC team have been so forward thinking in supporting military spouses.” 

For more information and to view the complete list, visit the Military Friendly® website.