Rider University was named as one of the nation’s top military friendly schools in an annual ranking by VIQTORY, an organization that helps connects the military community to civilian employment and other educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Rider was one of only two institutions in New Jersey to earn the gold designation. Across the nation, a total of 755 colleges and universities were included in the overall list.

“We are incredibly proud of our achievements in extending opportunities to those who have served the country," says Thomas Reddington of Rider's Veterans and Military Affairs Office. “This designation, which we are honored to receive, reflects that our efforts play an important role in supporting veterans as they pursue their goals in civilian life.”

Rider has a long and proud tradition of serving military veterans. When Rider opened its doors in 1865, some of its first students included Civil War veterans seeking job skills. Today, Rider is an active participant in several veterans programs including the Yellow Ribbon Program, which allows qualified military men and women the opportunity to attend college at a private institution through enhanced tuition benefits and supplemental scholarships and grants provided by participating colleges and universities.

The new 2019-20 Military Friendly Schools list represents the 10th year the organization has compiled the rankings. In a statement announcing the list, the organization said that it “has come to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their spouses.”

VIQTORY says the list was created based on research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans and survey responses from participating institutions. Ernst & Young, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction, and advisory services, provided assistance in developing the survey. Institutions were assessed on their ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement and other factors.