Submitted by Saint Martin’s University
Saint Martin’s University was awarded the gold designation as a 2025-2026 Military Friendly School for the sixth time by VIQTORY.
“For decades, Saint Martin’s has been dedicated to creating a welcoming educational environment for military students and their families,” said Bill Brownsberger, S.T.D., president of Saint Martin’s University. “This gold designation is a testament to that commitment, and we will continue to strengthen our support for those who have given of themselves in service to our country.”
The Military Friendly Schools list has become a benchmark for higher education institutions committed to offering exceptional opportunities for veterans and their families. 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 2025-26 survey with 830 earning special awards for going above the standard. The 2025-26 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at the Military Friendly website.
“Saint Martin’s has a long and proud history of serving the military and veteran’s communities. We are grateful to be recognized as having outstanding, tailored programs for military affiliated students,” said David Olwell, Ph.D., dean of the Hal and Inge Marcus School of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences and interim director of JBLM operations. “As a veteran myself, with the other veterans who staff these programs, and with the entire campus, we remain committed to their education in a welcoming and supportive environment.”
Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the 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, for student veterans.
“Our military-affiliated students bring invaluable leadership, discipline and diverse experiences to our campus,” said Adam Takata, director of the Washington Veterans to Technology (Vets 2 Tech) certificate program. “With dedicated programs like Washington Vets 2 Tech and the Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, we strive every day to provide programs and support tailored to strengthen the skills these students arrive with so that they can seamlessly transition into new careers, continue their legacy of service in new ways and confidently pursue their professional and academic goals.”
“Military Friendly is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process,” said Kayla Lopez, national director of military partnerships at Military Friendly. “Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the military community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages institutions to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard.”
This year, Saint Martin’s was also named a Military Support College of Distinction as well as a Military Supportive College. The University was also named the first Purple Heart University in the state of Washington by the Order of the Purple Heart.
For more information about the resources and programs that Saint Martin’s offers to support the military community, both at its Lacey and JBLM campuses, visit the military community page on the Saint Martin’s website.
