Monday, Apr 07, 2025 • Brian Lopez : contact

The University of Texas at Arlington has once again received national recognition for its dedication to military veterans and their families, earning a 2025-26 Military Friendly® School Gold Level ranking. UTA was also designated a Military Spouse Friendly® School, highlighting its commitment to supporting military-connected families.

With more than 5,000 military-connected students—including 3,000 military children or spouses—UTA provides resources and programs tailored to their unique needs.

“UTA is committed to helping veterans achieve their educational goals,” said Sawyer Howard, coordinator of UTA’s Office of Military and Veteran Services. “Consistently earning Gold Level status reaffirms our dedication to student success and strengthens UTA’s reputation as a top university for veterans.”

For Navy veteran John Shirley, who enrolled at UTA in August 2022, the University’s strong military community and support system has made a difference in his campus experience. He is set to become the first in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree in May.

Related: UTA named top public university for veterans in Texas

“I like having other veterans around—it makes you feel like you're always on the same level,” Shirley said. “It helps deal with stress. We’re all students with different challenges, but having fellow veterans to talk to makes a difference.”

The Military Friendly® School rankings recognize universities that provide meaningful educational opportunities for the military community. Rankings are based on public and proprietary data from the annual Military Friendly® survey, developed with input from an independent advisory council of veteran education experts.

UTA supports military-connected students through initiatives like Veteran’s Edge, a peer-mentoring program launched in 2021 that helps new students transition to university life with guidance from senior-level military-connected peers.

Learn more about UTA’s Military and Veteran Services.