Old Dominion's Strome College of Business Named Among Country’s Best Business schools for Veterans

April 02, 2015

Constant Hall, home of ODU's Strome College of Business

Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business has moved up to 12th in the country in the annual survey of best business schools for veterans produced by national publication The Military Times.

That represents a 20-spot increase for the college in the annual rankings, which surveyed more than 140 colleges and universities. It delved into school culture, student support, academic outcomes and quality, academic policies, as well as cost and financial aid for veterans.

"Our student veterans are an integral part of the fabric of the college, and some of our best students," said Vinod Agarwal, interim dean of the Strome College. "Many of our award-winning students come from the ranks of our veterans, and we are honored to serve them as they have served our nation."

Agarwal noted that the introduction of an online M.B.A. program at the Strome College last fall aided in the increased ranking. The college received high marks from respondents for staff support; academic support; and charging below the limit allowable under the GI Bill.

The national business school rankings were published in the March issue of Military Times, an organization comprising Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times that is run by media conglomerate Gannett Co. The 2015 list of ranked business schools is also available on the Military Times WEBSITE.

Findings from the Military Times survey included:

• Among academic institutions that responded this year, the focus on veterans typically starts at the top. Better than four in 10 have a service member, veteran or military spouse in a senior leadership position within the business school. Another four in 10 respondents reported such a senior leader not at the business school but the larger university;
• Costs at a little more than half the schools outpaced veterans' Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, but not at Old Dominion;
• Three-quarters of business schools said their university has a veteran or military group, such as ODU's Military Connection Center, but fewer than one in 10 have a separate group unique to the business school;
• Nearly two-thirds of responding schools require incoming students to take either the GMAT or the GRE as part of their applications. Only about eight percent of schools typically waive that requirement for vets, although about a quarter of schools, including Old Dominion, gave vets some sort of admissions preference.

The Military Times' Best for Vets series provides service members a gauge by which to judge whether a school or degree program will truly benefit them. The rankings factor in service member enrollment, percentage of tuition covered by the GI Bill and availability of specific programs to help service members.

The full Military Times college and university rankings are published every November. Old Dominion University was ranked 14th in 2014, an increase of 16 spots from the year before. Other rankings are produced at different times of the year, including rankings for business schools, law enforcement, teaching and other disciplines.