by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study education at the Master’s Degree level, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 516 colleges that stand out for veteran education students, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on 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 reviewed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat to build custom comparisons on the factors you care about most.
Explore the best education colleges for veterans at a specific degree level:
Here are the top-ranked education colleges for veterans:
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. Read more about education at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Delaware came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 91.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full education report for 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. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ohio State University-Main Campus is a great choice for veterans pursuing education, landing the #4 spot this year. The school's overall veterans score is 89.9 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the education program at Ohio State University-Main Campus
A rank of #5 makes University of Michigan-Ann Arbor one of the top education colleges for veteran students. It scores 89.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about education at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia came in at #6 for veteran education students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 89.3 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about education at University of Georgia
University of South Florida placed #7 among the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 89.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the education program at University of South Florida
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #8 on our 2026 list of 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, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about education at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University placed #9 among the best education colleges for veterans. East Carolina University scores 88.2 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 East Carolina University
The University of Texas at Arlington placed #10 among the best education colleges for veterans. The University of Texas at Arlington scores 87.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about education at The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University placed #11 among the best education colleges for veterans. San Diego State University scores 87.8 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 San Diego State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #12 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 87.7 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full education report for University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas landed the #13 spot for veterans pursuing education. The school's overall veterans score is 87.6 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full education report for University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Florida ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 86.4 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about education at University of Florida
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus scores 85.6 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 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Western Michigan University landed the #16 spot for veterans pursuing education. Western Michigan University scores 85.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus placed #17 among the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 85.4 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 66.7. See the full education report for University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of Arkansas placed #18 among the best education colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.3 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 Arkansas
University of Alabama in Huntsville ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 85.2 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 Alabama in Huntsville
University of Maryland-College Park ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 85.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of Maryland-College Park
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse came in at #21 for veteran education students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 85.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the education program at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
University of New Mexico-Main Campus came in at #22 for veteran education students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 85.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. See the full education report for University of New Mexico-Main Campus
State University of New York at Oswego landed the #23 spot for veterans pursuing education. The school's overall veterans score is 84.9 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full education report for State University of New York at Oswego
Rhode Island College placed #24 among the best education colleges for veterans. Rhode Island College scores 84.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about education at Rhode Island College
University of Kentucky landed the #25 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 84.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about education at University of Kentucky
These education colleges also placed near the top this year:
To learn more, click any college name below:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Georgia State University | 81.98 |
| 52 | Georgia Southern University | 81.92 |
| 53 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 54 | Clemson University | 81.75 |
| 55 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 81.74 |
| 56 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 57 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 58 | Western Governors University | 81.53 |
| 59 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 60 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
These education colleges also rank near the top for veterans this year:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| 62 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 63 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 64 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 65 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 80.97 |
| 66 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 80.92 |
| 67 | Towson University | 80.91 |
| 68 | Oakland University | 80.84 |
| 69 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 80.77 |
| 70 | University of Toledo | 80.75 |
| 71 | California State University-Sacramento | 80.65 |
| 72 | Ball State University | 80.63 |
| 73 | Mississippi State University | 80.59 |
| 74 | Appalachian State University | 80.49 |
| 75 | Oregon State University | 80.46 |
| 76 | Augusta University | 80.45 |
| 77 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 80.39 |
| 78 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 80.34 |
| 79 | California State University-Fullerton | 80.34 |
| 80 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 80.30 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
We measure this ranking on 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.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
