Forty-two colleges in Washington - including several in the Puget Sound region - are among the most military friendly schools in the nation, according to a recently released list by G.I. Jobs.

The Military Friendly Schools list is based on a poll of 7,000 schools nationwide.

G.I. Jobs looked for colleges that offered the greatest opportunity, flexibility and overall experience for veterans and active duty personnel. Criteria for making the list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting and retaining these students and academic accreditation.

Local schools making the list include University of Washington Tacoma, Clover Park Technical College, Pacific Lutheran University, Pierce College, The Evergreen State College, Saint Martin's University and Tacoma Community College.

UW Tacoma's close proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and other military installations, high graduation rate for veterans, and financial and academic support place it among the top 1,200 schools doing the most to embrace America's veterans as students, according to G.I Jobs.

With several Veterans Affairs-approved degree programs and work study available, UW Tacoma provides services that help active duty military personnel and veterans earn a bachelor's or master's degree quickly and easily, Wanda Curtis, educational partnerships coordinator for UW Tacoma said in a release.

The UW Tacoma Veterans Affairs office is available to help students access their GI Bill and other benefits, and to manage paperwork and bureaucracy.

"We try to make enrollment at UW Tacoma as easy as possible," Curtis said.

Evergreen State has an established Veterans Support Working Group made up of students, staff and faculty, as well as a Student Veteran Organization.

The school also hosts annual events such as the Fall Quarter Veterans Reception where a Veterans Medallion is presented to all identified incoming veterans in recognition of their service, a tradition of celebration of Veterans Day for the past 16 years, and Memorial Day recognition efforts including distribution of some 2,000 Memorial Day poppies among a college population of some 5,600.

CWU recently opened a new Veteran's Center where student veterans can access a variety of academic and financial services, do their homework at a computer kiosk or simply hang out in the lounge inside the center. Other services include academic advising, veteran certification, program and career planning, transitional services, and other benefits.

A full story and detailed list of Military Friendly Schools will be highlighted in G.I. Jobs annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools and on a poster, both of which will be distributed to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in late September. The newly redesigned Web site, found at www.military friendlyschools.com, features interactive tools and search functionality to assist military veterans in choosing schools that best meet their personal educational needs. The site currently shows 2010 Military Friendly Schools but will switch to the 2011 list in late September.

G.I. Jobs is a veteran-owned publication located in Pittsburgh, Pa. It compiles several helpful lists, including military-friendly employers, military spouse-friendly employers and best corporations for veteran-owned businesses. It can be found online at www.gijobs.com.

Washington colleges

- 42 schools
Bellevue College
Big Bend Community College
Cascadia Community College
Central Washington University
Centralia College
City University of Seattle
Clark College
Clover Park Technical College
Columbia Basin College
Eastern Washington University
Edmonds Community College
Everett Community College
Gonzaga University
Grays Harbor College
Green River Community College
Heritage University
Lake Washington Technical College
Lower Columbia College
North Seattle Community College
Northwest Aviation College
Northwest Baptist Seminary
Northwest University
Olympic College
Pacific Lutheran University
Peninsula College
Pierce College - Puyallup
Pierce College Military Program
Saint Martin's University
Seattle Vocational Institute
Shoreline Community College
Skagit Valley College
South Seattle Community College
Spokane Community College
Spokane Falls Community College
Tacoma Community College
The Evergreen State College
Trinity Lutheran College
University of Washington
University of Washington Tacoma
Washington State University
Wenatchee Valley College
Western Washington University