MACON, Ga. — Mercer University, for the third straight year, is ranked as a No. 1 Military Friendly® School for the 2025-2026 award year.
The rankings, announced March 27, place Mercer top among 537 institutions nationwide recognized for their military and veteran programs and initiatives.
“We are honored and grateful to be consistently recognized for the University’s commitment to serving the educational needs of our military-connected students and families,” said Mercer University Executive Vice President and Interim Provost Dr. Penny L. Ekins. “To be named the number one Military Friendly School for the third year in a row reflects the dedicated work of our faculty, staff and administration to provide impactful educational opportunities for those who tirelessly serve our country.”
Mercer first received the Military Friendly® designation in 2017 and has earned rankings in one of the four exemplary categories — Top 10 Gold, Gold, Silver or Bronze — every year since.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey with 830 earning special awards for going above the standard.
“I am deeply honored to complete the Military Friendly® survey year after year, as it allows us to showcase the incredible efforts Mercer University makes to support our military-connected students,” said Jamie Brown, director of strategic operations and student success. “Achieving the Rank 1, Top Ten Gold distinction for the third consecutive year is a true testament to our unwavering dedication to those who serve and their families. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for our military community.”
Mercer works extensively to better assist military-connected prospective students through the enrollment process in traditional residential undergraduate, adult undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition to being a Military Friendly® School, these efforts resulted in the institution being named Georgia’s first Purple Heart University and one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges for Veterans. More information on Mercer’s alliance with the military is available at mercer.edu/military.
The 2025-2026 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May and October issues of G.I. Jobs magazine and found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in higher education. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey responses and government/agency public data sources within a logic-based 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, student veterans.
About Military Friendly® Schools:
The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
