The University of Toledo is the No. 1 university in Ohio for military-connected students in the 2026 Military Times Best for Vets rankings, the university announced this week. UToledo also placed third in the Midwest and 41st nationally in the survey.
The 2026 rankings improved on last year’s showing in all three categories, when UToledo was ranked second in Ohio, seventh in the Midwest and 48th nationally, according to UToledo News, the university’s news service. The Best for Vets list is the largest and most comprehensive annual ranking of colleges and universities for military service members and veterans.
“This achievement is something our entire university community should be proud of,” Eric Buetikofer, UToledo’s director of military and veteran affairs, said in the university’s announcement. “It reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff, the commitment of our university leadership and, most importantly, the determination and success of the military-connected students who make our campus such a special place.”
The Military Times survey includes more than 200 questions covering retention, persistence and graduation rates, along with the services and programming schools offer military-connected students, according to UToledo News. The rankings also draw on a detailed review of public data collected by federal agencies, student success measures, military-specific resources and financial assistance.
Buetikofer credited the university’s VALOR peer-to-peer mentor program as one of the Military Service Center’s biggest successes, UToledo News reported. The program pairs new military-connected students using a military benefit for the first time with peer advisors who check in weekly by phone, email and newsletters during the student’s first term.
The ranking follows a second straight year of strong enrollment growth among military-connected students. UToledo welcomed 122 new military-connected students this fall, its second-largest class since the Military Service Center was created in 2012, according to the university. A total of 420 military-connected students now attend UToledo.
“We constantly strive to provide our military-connected students the best higher education experience possible,” Buetikofer said in the university’s announcement, crediting a joint effort across the Military Service Center, the registrar, treasurer and financial aid offices, faculty and academic advisors. The university said the improved ranking reflects that campus-wide work on behalf of veterans and their families.
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