Cumberlands awarded gold status as Military Friendly® School

University of the Cumberlands has received gold status among private universities offering doctoral degrees, as ranked by Military Friendly®. This marks the second consecutive year Cumberlands has earned gold status from the organization.

In short, rankings by Military Friendly® are a gauge to tell which organizations – employers as well as higher education institutions – offer superior assistance to U.S. military veterans and current members. The full ranking list for 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Schools can be viewed at www.militaryfriendly.com.

“The way we treat our nation’s military personnel and veterans is extremely important to us as a university,” said Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, Cumberlands President. “We are committed to providing high-quality, workforce-relevant education at affordable rates in formats that are flexible enough for our military to complete their programs in a timely fashion. Whether our students’ goals are to use their degrees within military work directly, or whether they’re looking to use their degrees in civilian life, it’s our goal at Cumberlands to provide everything they need to accomplish those goals.”

University of the Cumberlands offers both in-seat and fully online degree programs to military personnel and veterans. Both in-seat and online students receive financial aid through the university. Cumberlands offers programs in information technology, health sciences, business administration, criminal justice, and many other fields for all degree levels from associate through doctoral. To learn more, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/academics.

Dr. Jonathan Shores, Jr., a U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, recently joined Cumberlands’ leadership as the new Executive Vice President for Enrollment Management. Shores said, “I appreciate how intentional Cumberlands is in their approach toward students with a military background. The effort they put toward these students speaks volumes, and I look forward to continuing to grow the services and programs here for veterans.”

Cumberlands provides many resources to military personnel and veterans, such as academic advising, financial aid counselling, career planning services, free mental health counselling, and assistance finding work-study opportunities and non-work-study employment. The university also provides accommodations for military students with disabilities. Cumberlands accepts all forms of VA benefits and all forms of Military Tuition Assistance, and no military or veteran student pays an application fee to apply to Cumberlands, regardless of whether they’re seeking an undergraduate or graduate program. The university offers other military benefits as well; visit www.ucumberlands.edu/admissions/military to learn more.

Per the Military Friendly® website, ratings are “assessed through the evaluation of both public data… and proprietary data” gathered through a free, voluntary survey offered by the organization. The survey assessment is offered to more than 8,800 institutions worldwide. According to Military Friendly®, “Each year, schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than in previous years via improved methodology, criteria, and weightings developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and our Advisory Council.”

Institutions are ranked according to six categories: academic policies and compliance, graduation and career outcomes, culture and commitment, military student support and retention, admissions and orientation, and financial aid and loan repayment. The biggest weight is given to “graduation and career outcomes” and to “military student support and retention,” with each category accounting for 30 percent of the institution’s final score. “Financial aid and loan repayment” is the following most important factor, accounting for 12 percent.

Cumberlands first earned Military Friendly® status in 2018, making the Top 10 list nationwide among private universities offering doctoral programs in 2018 and again in 2021. For the 2021-2022 cycle, the university was also named a Military Spouse Friendly® School.

For more information on Military Friendly® Schools, visit www.militaryfriendly.com/schools/. 

To learn more about University of the Cumberlands’ programs and military discounts, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/military.