by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study social work, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 417 programs ranked on how well they support veterans pursuing social work, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based 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? Check out our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
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Learn more about these veteran-friendly social work colleges below:
Leading the list is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, our #1 social work college for veterans. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill scores 90.4 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 social work at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best social work 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 social work at Ohio State University-Main Campus
James Madison University is a great choice for veterans pursuing social work, landing the #3 spot this year. James Madison University scores 89.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about social work at James Madison University
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best social work colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.6 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the social work program at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Veteran students seeking a strong social work program will find one at University of Georgia, which ranked #5. The school's overall veterans score is 89.3 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score.
More about the social work program at University of Georgia
5
University of South Florida placed #6 among the best social work colleges for veterans. It scores 89.0 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 social work at University of South Florida
Rutgers University-New Brunswick landed the #7 spot for veterans pursuing social work. It scores 88.8 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. See the full social work report for Rutgers University-New Brunswick
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best social work colleges for veterans. It scores 88.5 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 social work at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University placed #9 among the best social work colleges for veterans. East Carolina University scores 88.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full social work report for East Carolina University
The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #10 for veteran social work students this year. It scores 87.9 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 social work program at The University of Texas at Arlington
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San Diego State University placed #11 among the best social work colleges for veterans. San Diego State University scores 87.8 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the social work program at San Diego State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham came in at #12 for veteran social work students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 87.7 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full social work report for University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas placed #13 among the best social work 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, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about social work at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Stony Brook University landed the #14 spot for veterans pursuing social work. Stony Brook University scores 87.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the social work program at Stony Brook University
California State University-Long Beach came in at #15 for veteran social work 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, and veteran resources 100.0.
See the full social work report for California State University-Long Beach
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Winona State University landed the #16 spot for veterans pursuing social work. Winona State University scores 86.3 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 social work at Winona State University
Rutgers University-Newark came in at #17 for veteran social work students this year. It scores 86.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full social work report for Rutgers University-Newark
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus came in at #18 for veteran social work students this year. 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 social work program at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Western Michigan University placed #19 among the best social work colleges for veterans. It scores 85.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the social work program at Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best social work colleges for veterans. University of Washington-Seattle Campus scores 85.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7.
Read more about social work at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
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University of Arkansas came in at #21 for veteran social work students this year. It scores 85.3 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 social work program at University of Arkansas
Rhode Island College landed the #22 spot for veterans pursuing social work. The school's overall veterans score is 84.9 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about social work at Rhode Island College
Texas Tech University placed #23 among the best social work colleges for veterans. It scores 84.8 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 social work at Texas Tech University
University of Kentucky came in at #24 for veteran social work students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 84.8 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the social work program at University of Kentucky
Boise State University ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the best social work colleges for veterans. Boise State University scores 84.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full social work report for Boise State University
Not far behind, these social work colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
To learn more, click any college name below:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 52 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 53 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 54 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
| 55 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| 56 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 57 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 58 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 59 | Christopher Newport University | 80.94 |
| 60 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 80.92 |
These schools also stood out:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 80.92 |
| 62 | Oakland University | 80.84 |
| 63 | Salem State University | 80.80 |
| 64 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 80.77 |
| 65 | University of Toledo | 80.75 |
| 66 | Belmont University | 80.68 |
| 67 | California State University-Sacramento | 80.65 |
| 68 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 80.63 |
| 69 | Ball State University | 80.63 |
| 70 | Mississippi State University | 80.59 |
| 71 | Connecticut State Community College | 80.50 |
| 72 | Appalachian State University | 80.49 |
| 73 | Augusta University | 80.45 |
| 74 | Texas Woman’s University | 80.41 |
| 75 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 80.39 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 76 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 80.34 |
| 77 | California State University-Fullerton | 80.34 |
| 78 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 80.30 |
| 79 | University of Alaska Anchorage | 80.21 |
| 80 | University of Illinois Chicago | 80.19 |
*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 social work: 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.
