by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study engineering, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 374 colleges ranked on how well they support veterans pursuing engineering, 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 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 tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Narrow this ranking to a degree level below:
Here are the top-ranked engineering colleges for veterans:
Leading the list is University of Nebraska-Lincoln, our #1 engineering college for veterans. University of Nebraska-Lincoln scores 91.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the engineering program at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. 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. Read more about engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Veteran students seeking a strong engineering program will find one at University of Delaware, which ranked #3. It scores 91.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full engineering report for University of Delaware
A rank of #4 makes University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill one of the top engineering colleges for veteran students. 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 engineering program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best engineering 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, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full engineering report for Ohio State University-Main Campus
5
James Madison University placed #6 among the best engineering colleges for veterans. James Madison University scores 89.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full engineering report for James Madison University
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. It scores 89.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about engineering at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.3 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the engineering program at University of Georgia
University of South Florida landed the #9 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. The school's overall veterans score is 89.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full engineering report for University of South Florida
Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 88.8 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full engineering report for Rutgers University-New Brunswick
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East Carolina University came in at #11 for veteran engineering students this year. It scores 88.2 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 engineering program at East Carolina University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 88.1 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.9 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the engineering program at The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University placed #14 among the best engineering colleges for veterans. 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 engineering at San Diego State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best engineering colleges for veterans. University of Alabama at Birmingham scores 87.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
Read more about engineering at University of Alabama at Birmingham
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University of Nevada-Las Vegas landed the #16 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. The school's overall veterans score is 87.6 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about engineering at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Virginia-Main Campus placed #17 among the best engineering colleges for veterans. University of Virginia-Main Campus scores 87.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full engineering report for University of Virginia-Main Campus
Stony Brook University came in at #18 for veteran engineering students this year. It scores 87.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about engineering at Stony Brook University
California State University-Long Beach placed #19 among the best engineering colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 86.7 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the engineering program at California State University-Long Beach
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #20 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. The school's overall veterans score is 86.5 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7.
See the full engineering report for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
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University of Florida landed the #21 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. University of Florida scores 86.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about engineering at University of Florida
Binghamton University landed the #22 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. It scores 85.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full engineering report for Binghamton University
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus landed the #23 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. It scores 85.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the engineering program at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Citadel Military College of South Carolina placed #24 among the best engineering colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.4 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about engineering at Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Western Michigan University landed the #25 spot for veterans pursuing engineering. Western Michigan University scores 85.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the engineering program at Western Michigan University
Not far behind, these engineering colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
To learn more, click any college name below:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Michigan Technological University | 82.92 |
| 52 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 82.73 |
| 53 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 82.53 |
| 54 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 82.53 |
| 55 | California State University-Northridge | 82.46 |
| 56 | Florida State University | 82.43 |
These engineering colleges also rank near the top for veterans this year:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | The University of Alabama | 82.38 |
| 58 | George Mason University | 82.15 |
| 59 | Rowan University | 82.13 |
| 60 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | 81.93 |
| 61 | Georgia Southern University | 81.92 |
| 62 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 63 | Clemson University | 81.75 |
| 64 | Houston Community College | 81.75 |
| 65 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 66 | Wake Technical Community College | 81.58 |
| 67 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 68 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide | 81.51 |
| 69 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 70 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
| 71 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 73 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 74 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 75 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 80.97 |
*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 engineering: 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
