Columbus State again cited as military-friendly school for students, spouses

April 15, 2025

Columbus State University continues its decade-long run in Military Friendly®’s 2025-26 ranking of schools nationwide that support military students and spouses.

Specifically, in the “Small Public School” category, Columbus State continues its gold status as a Military-Friendly School and ranks 10th as a Military Spouse-Friendly School—its first time in the Top 10. It is also the only small public college or university in Georgia to appear in either grouping.

Enrollment counselors and support staff in the university’s Military-Connected Student Services office coordinate educational assistance and advising programs for more than 1,500 active-duty soldiers, military retirees, veterans, and their spouses and dependents—nearly 20% of Columbus State’s current student body.

“Our commitment to serving the military ranges from educating students as they ready for roles as commissioned officers to helping servicemen and servicewomen transition from military service to meaningful careers,” said Dr. Stuart Rayfield, president of Columbus State University. “In between, we have the honor of serving their families, helping our students appreciate the military’s contributions, and partnering on vital research that keeps our soldiers and nation safe.”

During the past year, Columbus State has strengthened its ties with Fort Benning, which now benefits from student and faculty expertise in drones and robotics engineering and geographic information systems (GIS). The university’s ROTC battalion—comprised of traditional and Green to Gold cadets—captured the coveted Titan Helmet for the third consecutive year in 2024 and is ranked the nation’s third-best battalion. It is also home to two of the U.S. Army Cadet Command’s Order of Merit list’s top 10 cadets.

These recent developments build on a foundation that includes graduate-level transfer credit toward certain fully online degrees for soldiers completing the Army’s Captains Career Courses, Sergeant Majors Academy and Adjutant General School anywhere in the U.S. In recent years, the university eliminated all student fees for military-affiliated students using Military Tuition Assistance, ensuring their costs remain within MTA caps.

ABOUT THE RANKINGS

VIQTORY compiles its Military Friendly® Schools list each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans and responses to its voluntary survey from 1,800 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.

Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs® and Military Friendly® brands. More information is available from the Military Friendly® Schools website.

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Media contacts:
Columbus State University: Michael Tullier, APR, executive director of strategic communication + marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu
Military Friendly® Schools: Kayla Lopez, senior director of military partnerships, media@militaryfriendly.com