University of Kansas receives top-five 'Military Friendly School' ranking
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas ranks fifth nationally among Tier 1 research institutions in the annual “Military Friendly Schools” survey.
The annual survey is the longest-running review of college and university investments in serving military-affiliated students. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using public data sources and survey information. More than 1,800 institutions participated in the 2024-2025 survey, with 537 earning special awards for going above the standard.
“This ranking reflects KU’s long-standing commitment to serving our more than 1,900 veterans, service members, spouses, dependents and ROTC students,” said April Blackmon Strange, director of the Lt. Gen. William K. Jones Military-Affiliated Student Center. “It’s also a testament to the collaborative efforts across campus that foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for our military-affiliated community.”
Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. The rankings and survey criteria are available online and will be published in G.I. Jobs magazine's May and October issues.
The Military-Affiliated Student Center at KU – a nearly 3,000-square-foot center in Summerfield Hall – serves as a centralized resource for KU’s military-affiliated community. It includes a lounge with 24-7 access, study spaces, headquarters for the KU Student Veterans of America organization, VA Work Study opportunities, staff to help with GI Bill benefits, military tuition assistance and more.
The university is one of just 104 campuses nationwide to have the Department of Veterans Affairs VetSuccess on Campus program with a dedicated VA VSOC counselor on campus.
In addition to the center, KU has several scholarships and an emergency fund for military-affiliated students, a Veterans Upward Bound program and a series of Graduate Military Programs. KU is one of more than 50 universities to have all branches of ROTC and one of eight universities designated as a Department of Defense Language Training Center, which educates hundreds of service members in strategic languages and regional area studies.
The KU Edwards campus has a Veterans and Student Leadership Lounge. Additional KU academic programs and certificates are available both on Fort Leavenworth and in Leavenworth for military and civilians in the area. KU also has a 4,000-member Veterans Alumni Network.