The University of Toledo is officially the best school in Ohio for veterans and military-connected students.

UToledo ranked No. 1 in Ohio in the Military Times Best for Vets 2026 survey, placing third in the Midwest and 41st nationally. The rankings, released earlier this week, improved on last year’s showing in all three categories — UToledo was second in Ohio, seventh in the Midwest and 48th nationally in 2025.

“This achievement is something our entire university community should be proud of,” said Eric Buetikofer, director of military and veteran affairs. “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 Best for Vets survey is the largest and most comprehensive ranking of its kind, with more than 200 questions covering retention, persistence and graduation rates, plus the services and programming schools offer military members and veterans.

A big piece of UToledo’s climb: the VALOR peer-to-peer mentor program, which pairs new military-connected students using a military benefit for the first time with peer advisors who check in weekly by phone, email and newsletter.

The result is showing up in enrollment, too. UToledo brought in 122 new military-connected students this fall — its second-largest class ever — and now serves 420 military-connected students in total.

Source: UToledo News

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