Clemson University earns No. 2 ranking as Military Friendly® School for 2025-26

By Philip Sikes

Clemson University announced today it has earned a No. 2 national ranking as a 2025-26 Military Friendly® School. Clemson improved five spots from last year’s ranking among Tier 1 research institutions in earning its second-straight Top 10 designation.

Colleges and universities earning the Military Friendly® designation were evaluated using public data sources and survey responses. The complete list of designations will be published in an upcoming issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at MilitaryFriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council made up of leaders in higher education. Final ratings reflect schools’ abilities to meet thresholds for retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence and loan default rates — specifically for student veterans.

“We are very proud of this ranking and the hard work done by many people at Clemson to improve support provided to our military community,” says Executive Director of Military Affairs Jimmy Mullinax. “It is evident Clemson is proud of its military heritage and wants to show the current generation of student veterans and military-connected students that they are valued members of the Clemson Family.”

Over the past year, the Office of Military & Veteran Engagement has continued to make great strides in support of Clemson’s military community:

• Improved Joint Services Transcript (JST) processes resulting in 99 credit hours awarded to 17 student veterans for prior military experience and training;
• Opened a second resource center in Hendrix Student Center with a reception area, student lounge, staff offices and partnership hub allowing for collaborative sessions with Counseling and Psychological Services, the VA Educational Benefits Office, Upstate Warrior Solution and others;
• Hosted a VA Claims Clinic in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans and community members, assisting attendees with benefits claims and healthcare needs;
• Hosted the state’s first Military Programs in Higher Education Workshop in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs (SCDVA) that brought 18 schools to campus; and
• Received a major gift of $1.25M from The Schoen Foundation to expand resources, programming and outreach for military-connected students.

Military Friendly® is the latest in a line of military-related honors for Clemson this academic year. In the fall, Clemson improved 98 spots among the “Best Colleges for Vets” list published by Military Times magazine. Clemson also earned recognition for its Military Academic Program with a silver certificate from the SCDVA.

Source: Clemson University

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