Vaughn College was ranked fifth in the Regional College (North) category by U.S. News in its inaugural Best Colleges for Veterans rankings. The rankings list top institutions that participate in federal initiatives that help veterans and active service members apply, pay for and complete their degrees.

To qualify for the rankings, the colleges had to be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program; two federal initiatives that help veterans reduce the cost of school.

The institutions were also required to be members of the Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium; a group that works to simplify credit transfers and give veterans credit for military training and national tests such as the College-Level Examination Program.

The new rankings include 10 separate categories: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities (North, South, Midwest and West) and Regional Colleges (North, South, Midwest and West).

Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill was implemented in August 2009, at least 773,000 veterans and their loved ones have taken advantage of the bill, which provides tuition and housing assistance to eligible veterans and their family members, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs.