by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study education, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 792 programs that serve veteran education students especially well, 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. To help you decide, College Factual reviewed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ready to build your own comparison? Try our College Combat to build custom comparisons on the factors you care about most.
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Here are the top-ranked education colleges for veterans:
No school served veteran education students better than University of Nebraska-Lincoln this year. University of Nebraska-Lincoln scores 91.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full education report for University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Delaware is a great choice for veterans pursuing education, landing the #2 spot this year. It scores 91.1 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 University of Delaware
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great choice for veterans pursuing education, landing the #3 spot this year. The school's overall veterans score is 90.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. Ohio State University-Main Campus scores 89.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about education at Ohio State University-Main Campus
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a great choice for veterans pursuing education, landing the #5 spot this year. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor scores 89.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score.
More about the education program at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
5
University of Georgia came in at #6 for veteran education students this year. University of Georgia scores 89.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about education at University of Georgia
University of South Florida landed the #7 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 89.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at University of South Florida
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater landed the #8 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 88.5 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. Read more about education at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University landed the #9 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 88.2 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at East Carolina University
The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #10 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 87.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full education report for The University of Texas at Arlington
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San Diego State University landed the #11 spot for veterans pursuing education. The school's overall veterans score is 87.8 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about education at San Diego State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham placed #12 among the best education colleges for veterans. University of Alabama at Birmingham scores 87.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about education at 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. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Florida placed #14 among the best education colleges for veterans. It scores 86.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the education program at University of Florida
Santa Fe College came in at #15 for veteran education students this year. Santa Fe College scores 86.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full education report for Santa Fe College
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Winona State University landed the #16 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 86.3 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 Winona State University
Salt Lake Community College landed the #17 spot for veterans pursuing education. It scores 86.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the education program at Salt Lake Community College
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus came in at #18 for veteran education students this year. It scores 85.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about education at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Florida State College at Jacksonville came in at #19 for veteran education students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 85.5 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full education report for Florida State College at Jacksonville
Western Michigan University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best education colleges for veterans. Western Michigan University scores 85.4 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.
More about the education program at Western Michigan University
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University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranked #21 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, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about education at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of Arkansas placed #22 among the best education colleges for veterans. University of Arkansas scores 85.3 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 Arkansas
University of Alabama in Huntsville came in at #23 for veteran education students this year. University of Alabama in Huntsville scores 85.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the education program at University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Maryland-College Park placed #24 among the best education colleges for veterans. University of Maryland-College Park scores 85.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. 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 Maryland-College Park
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed #25 among the best education colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.0 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full education report for University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
These education colleges also placed near the top this year:
Click a college name to learn more:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 82.73 |
| 52 | Tallahassee State College | 82.70 |
| 53 | University of North Alabama | 82.65 |
| 54 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 82.53 |
| 55 | Florida State University | 82.43 |
| 56 | The University of Alabama | 82.38 |
| 57 | University of Northern Iowa | 82.23 |
| 58 | University of South Dakota | 82.17 |
| 59 | George Mason University | 82.15 |
| 60 | Southern Connecticut State University | 82.10 |
These education colleges also rank near the top for veterans this year:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Georgia State University | 81.98 |
| 62 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | 81.93 |
| 63 | Georgia Southern University | 81.92 |
| 64 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 65 | Clemson University | 81.75 |
| 66 | Houston Community College | 81.75 |
| 67 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 81.74 |
| 68 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 69 | Wake Technical Community College | 81.58 |
| 70 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 71 | Western Governors University | 81.53 |
| 72 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 73 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
| 74 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| 75 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 76 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 77 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 78 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 80.97 |
| 79 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 80.92 |
| 80 | Towson University | 80.91 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based 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.
