More schools than ever earn spot in Military Times’ 2026 Best for Vets: Colleges rankings

370 colleges and universities are recognized this year as campuses adapt to a growing, changing military-connected student body. ARLINGTON, VA., November 9, 2026 – Military Times today released its 2026 Best for Vets: Colleges rankings, recognizing 370 colleges and universities across all 50 states for their commitment to service members, veterans and military families. That’s up from 357 schools last year, a sign that more institutions than ever are making support for military-connected students a priority. For more than a decade, Military Times has run Best for Vets to help service members, veterans and their families make one of the biggest decisions of their post-military lives: where to go to school. The rankings apply the same thorough, unbiased approach behind Military Times’ journalism to evaluate how well schools actually serve military-connected students, from the first application to graduation day. “The military-connected student today looks different than many people imagine,” said Jon Simkins, editor-in-chief of Military Times. “It’s a veteran starting a second career, a Guard member balancing drill weekends with classes, a spouse finishing a degree between moves. The schools on this year’s list understand that, and they’re building support around the real lives of the people they serve. That’s exactly what we want our readers to know when they’re choosing where to invest their education benefits.” A growing, changing student body Military-connected enrollment is growing faster than campuses overall, and the population is becoming more diverse in age, life stage and family situation. Spouses and dependents of service members now make up the largest share of military-connected students, a shift that is pushing schools to think beyond programs designed for the traditional student veteran. Student veterans are thriving This year’s data also challenges the old idea that student veterans are academically at risk. Military-connected students are increasingly matching their civilian classmates on retention and course completion. At many two-year schools, they’re outperforming them. Schools are removing barriers Across the list, schools are focused on clearing the small obstacles that can derail a military-connected student before the first class. More are waiving late fees when GI Bill or Tuition Assistance payments are delayed, protecting students from being dropped while benefits are pending, and simplifying the benefits process with a single point of contact. Many are also expanding career services built specifically for military-connected students, and most plan new military or veteran initiatives for the coming year. Schools on the rise Several schools made major gains this year. The University of Arizona climbed into the top tier of the rankings, while Metropolitan State University of Denver, Texas A&M University-San Antonio and Charleston Southern University each moved up dramatically. How the rankings work Best for Vets: Colleges is based on a detailed survey of each school’s policies, programs and outcomes. It covers university culture, student support services, academic policies, costs and financial assistance, and military-connected student success rates. The full 2026 Best for Vets: Colleges rankings are available at https://bestforvets.militarytimes.com/ Questions? Contact: bestforvets@militarytimes.com