The return to civilian life has been a challenge for many of the men and women who have served in the armed forces.

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 1,853 veterans, 27 percent said re-entry was difficult for them. That number swelled to 44 percent among veterans who served in the 10 years following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.Education plays a vital role in the veterans' transition.The good news is that an estimated 800,000 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces are currently attending college.The bad news is that nearly 88 percent of those veteran students are expected to drop out before completing their first year of school, and only 3 percent are expected to actually graduate.Troubling statistics like these have led lawmakers and colleges across the country to adopt measures that not only enable veterans to attend college, but also aid their transition into and out of the classroom and offer services such as vet counseling and student organizations to address specific needs.One of the pace setters is the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota which uses funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs to specially train students to understand veterans' complex medical needs and offer them better treatment.Some graduates have done work in the homeless programs at the VA and others in mental health clinics, as well as addressing their physical concerns.BestColleges.com ranked the top 40 reputable colleges and universities in the U.S. that have excelled in recent years when it comes to educating and supporting veteran students.Ranked number 1 is Arizona State University in Tempe. One of its famous alums was Pat Tillman, who abandoned his lucrative life in pro football to join the U.S. Army following the 9/11 attacks. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2002.Today, the Pat Tillman Veterans Center provides academic and career assistance for ASU students who have served or are serving their country.Rounding out the top five are Auburn University, Azusa Pacific University, Boston University and Colorado State University.Colleges and universities from the Mid Atlantic, East and Northeast regions in the top 40 list are Boston (4), George Mason (7), Georgetown (8), Northeastern (13), Pace (16), Penn State (17), Rutgers (Newark) (18), Rutgers (New Brunswick (19), Seton Hall (20), Stony Brook (21), Maine (29), and Massachusetts (30).In the Spring 2014, any veteran of the U.S. armed forces, reservist, or guardsman was awarded top-priority for admission into Penn State.The University Park campus also has a PSU Peer Counseling Office; and operators are available to talk to students who have enrolled at any PSU campus or branch.The work being done in Happy Valley on behalf of veterans does the state proud.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com