by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study economics, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 407 colleges that stand out for veteran economics students, 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. To help you decide, College Factual analyzed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out our College Combat to build custom comparisons on the factors you care about most.
Narrow this ranking to a degree level below:
Here are the top-ranked economics colleges for veterans:
No school served veteran economics students better than University of Nebraska-Lincoln this year. It scores 91.2 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about economics at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A rank of #2 makes University of Delaware one of the top economics colleges for veteran students. The school's overall veterans score is 91.1 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the economics program at University of Delaware
A rank of #3 makes University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill one of the top economics colleges for veteran students. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill scores 90.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best economics colleges for veterans. It scores 89.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about economics at Ohio State University-Main Campus
Veteran students seeking a strong economics program will find one at James Madison University, which ranked #5. The school's overall veterans score is 89.6 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7.
More about the economics program at James Madison University
5
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor placed #6 among the best economics colleges for veterans. It scores 89.6 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. See the full economics report for University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best economics colleges for veterans. University of Georgia scores 89.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about economics at University of Georgia
William & Mary landed the #8 spot for veterans pursuing economics. The school's overall veterans score is 89.2 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the economics program at William & Mary
University of South Florida landed the #9 spot for veterans pursuing economics. University of South Florida scores 89.0 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 economics report for University of South Florida
Rutgers University-New Brunswick landed the #10 spot for veterans pursuing economics. Rutgers University-New Brunswick scores 88.8 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
More about the economics program at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
10
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater landed the #11 spot for veterans pursuing economics. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater scores 88.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the economics program at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University came in at #12 for veteran economics students this year. East Carolina University scores 88.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full economics report for East Carolina University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University came in at #13 for veteran economics students this year. It scores 88.1 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. More about the economics program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #14 spot for veterans pursuing economics. The school's overall veterans score is 87.9 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full economics report for The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University came in at #15 for veteran economics students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 87.8 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
More about the economics program at San Diego State University
15
University of Nevada-Las Vegas came in at #16 for veteran economics students this year. University of Nevada-Las Vegas scores 87.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about economics at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Virginia-Main Campus placed #17 among the best economics colleges for veterans. University of Virginia-Main Campus scores 87.5 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 economics report for University of Virginia-Main Campus
Stony Brook University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best economics colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.1 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full economics report for Stony Brook University
California State University-Long Beach came in at #19 for veteran economics students this year. California State University-Long Beach scores 86.7 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 economics program at California State University-Long Beach
University of Florida placed #20 among the best economics colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 86.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
Read more about economics at University of Florida
20
Rutgers University-Newark came in at #21 for veteran economics students this year. It scores 86.1 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. See the full economics report for Rutgers University-Newark
Binghamton University landed the #22 spot for veterans pursuing economics. Binghamton University scores 85.8 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 economics report for Binghamton University
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus landed the #23 spot for veterans pursuing economics. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus scores 85.6 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 economics program at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Western Michigan University placed #24 among the best economics 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. See the full economics report for Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus landed the #25 spot for veterans pursuing economics. It scores 85.4 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 economics report for University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Not far behind, these economics colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
Explore the rest of the top 15% below:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Mary Washington | 82.63 |
| 52 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 82.53 |
| 53 | California State University-Northridge | 82.46 |
| 54 | Florida State University | 82.43 |
| 55 | The University of Alabama | 82.38 |
| 56 | University of Northern Iowa | 82.23 |
| 57 | University of South Dakota | 82.17 |
| 58 | George Mason University | 82.15 |
| 59 | Rowan University | 82.13 |
| 60 | Georgia State University | 81.98 |
These economics colleges also rank near the top for veterans this year:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | 81.93 |
| 62 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 81.84 |
| 63 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 64 | Clemson University | 81.75 |
| 65 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 81.74 |
| 66 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 67 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 68 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 69 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 70 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 71 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 72 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 80.97 |
| 73 | Christopher Newport University | 80.94 |
| 74 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 80.92 |
| 75 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 80.92 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 76 | Towson University | 80.91 |
| 77 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 80.90 |
| 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.
This ranking is based on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying economics: 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.
