Military Times ranks University of Arizona as best public US college for veterans

The University of Arizona was dubbed the best public university in the nation for veterans by Military Times on Monday.

The publication rated 370 colleges and universities in its Best for Vets: 2026 Colleges ranking. The Tucson-based university took the top spot among public universities but came in second overall.

Military Times uses student success metrics, the range of military-specific resources, the level of financial assistance schools offer, admission and registration policies and human recourse to grade the schools.

“Being ranked the top public university in the nation for service members and veterans is a distinction our university has earned through sustained commitment,” U of A President Suresh Garimella said in a news release. “Our dedication to the men and women who serve, and the families who support them, has only deepened over the generations. I am grateful for the many individuals on our campus who contribute to the culture that made this recognition possible.”

The university provides military-connected student aid with Veteran’s Affairs education benefits, academic guidance, peer-to-peer mentoring, tutoring and career counseling through its Veterans Education and Transition Services program.

During World War II, U of A trained 11,000 service members.

Today, it has ROTC programs for the Army, Navy and Air Force that supply participants with military training as well as community and academic support.

“This recognition is an incredible honor and reflects years of dedication, collaboration and a genuine commitment to our military-connected Wildcats,” Blaze Smith, director of Veterans Education and Transition Services and the U of A ROTC program, said. “We see the results of that work in our student retention, growing military-connected enrollment, annual surveys and the community we’ve built on campus.”

In addition to the Military Times recognition, U of A’s Air Force ROTC has been named the best large detachment in the nation and Arizona Online was rated the No. 4 online MBA program for veterans in U.S. News and World Report’s 2026 Best Online Bachelor’s Program rankings.

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