by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study education at the Bachelor’s Degree level, you’ve come to the right place. This ranking highlights 651 schools that serve veteran education students especially well, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluated colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ready to build your own comparison? Check out our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Narrow this ranking to a degree level below:
Explore the leading education colleges for veterans below:
Leading the list is University of Nebraska-Lincoln, our #1 education college for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 91.2 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full education report for University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Delaware came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 91.1 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the education program at University of Delaware
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great choice for veterans pursuing education, landing the #3 spot this year. It scores 90.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the education program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Veteran students seeking a strong education program will find one at Ohio State University-Main Campus, which ranked #4. Ohio State University-Main Campus scores 89.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about education at Ohio State University-Main Campus
Veteran students seeking a strong education program will find one at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, which ranked #5. The school's overall veterans score is 89.6 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia landed the #6 spot for veterans pursuing education. University of Georgia scores 89.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of Georgia
University of South Florida came in at #7 for veteran education students this year. University of South Florida scores 89.0 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about education at University of South Florida
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater placed #8 among the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 88.5 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University came in at #9 for veteran education students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 88.2 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full education report for East Carolina University
The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #10 for veteran education students this year. It scores 87.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full education report for The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University placed #11 among the best education colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.8 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full education report for San Diego State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 87.7 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the education program at University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. University of Nevada-Las Vegas scores 87.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Florida came in at #14 for veteran education students this year. University of Florida scores 86.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at University of Florida
Santa Fe College landed the #15 spot for veterans pursuing education. Santa Fe College scores 86.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about education at Santa Fe College
Winona State University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 86.3 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full education report for Winona State University
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 85.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the education program at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Florida State College at Jacksonville landed the #18 spot for veterans pursuing education. The school's overall veterans score is 85.5 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about education at Florida State College at Jacksonville
Western Michigan University ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full education report for Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus landed the #20 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 85.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the education program at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of Arkansas landed the #21 spot for veterans pursuing education. The school's overall veterans score is 85.3 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of Arkansas
University of Alabama in Huntsville came in at #22 for veteran education students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 85.2 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the education program at University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Maryland-College Park came in at #23 for veteran education students this year. It scores 85.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the education program at University of Maryland-College Park
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse landed the #24 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 85.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about education at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
University of New Mexico-Main Campus landed the #25 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 85.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at University of New Mexico-Main Campus
Not far behind, these education colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
Click a college name to learn more:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 82.53 |
| 52 | Florida State University | 82.43 |
| 53 | The University of Alabama | 82.38 |
| 54 | University of Northern Iowa | 82.23 |
| 55 | University of South Dakota | 82.17 |
| 56 | George Mason University | 82.15 |
| 57 | Southern Connecticut State University | 82.10 |
| 58 | Georgia State University | 81.98 |
| 59 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | 81.93 |
| 60 | Georgia Southern University | 81.92 |
These schools also stood out:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 62 | Clemson University | 81.75 |
| 63 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 81.74 |
| 64 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 65 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 66 | Western Governors University | 81.53 |
| 67 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 68 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
| 69 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| 70 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 71 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 72 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 73 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 80.97 |
| 74 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 80.92 |
| 75 | Towson University | 80.91 |
| 76 | Oakland University | 80.84 |
| 77 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 80.77 |
| 78 | University of Toledo | 80.75 |
| 79 | California State University-Sacramento | 80.65 |
| 80 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 80.63 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying education: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
