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Viqtory, a media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Northwest Missouri State University a Military Friendly School for 2025-2026 in recognition of the University’s commitment to embracing military service members, veterans and their family members and ensuring their success on campus.
This marks the 14th consecutive year Northwest appears on the list, which honors colleges, universities and trade schools that deliver the best experience for military students.
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More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey, and 830 schools earned award-level designations of Gold, Silver or Bronze, with Northwest receiving a Silver designation. The 2025-2026 Military Friendly Schools list is published in G.I. Jobs magazine’s May issue and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
Dr. Tyler Tapps, Northwest’s associate provost of academic operations and assessment, is among several University employees who have previously served in the military and understand the importance of being a Military Friendly School. Tapps served in the U.S. Air Force with the Iowa National Guard for six years. He was deployed to the Middle East and completed several stateside assignments.
“Being military friendly means creating a space where veterans feel like they belong,” Tapps said. “It’s not just about the benefits, it’s about recognizing their unique experiences and helping them succeed in a new chapter of life. Veterans have already shown they’re committed and capable. A supportive campus helps them keep moving forward.”
In its profile of the University, Viqtory cites Northwest’s high graduation and career placement rates as well as its 21-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio and opportunities for student employment and profession-based learning experiences. “Northwest has high graduation and career placement rates and offers rigorous academic programs, small class sizes, and opportunities for student employment and profession-based learning experiences. Many resources, including the Student Success Center, Writing Center, Math Lab, Career Services, and faculty advisors, are available to help students be successful throughout their time at Northwest and after,” the report states.
Northwest, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is approved for certification of students eligible to receive educational assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The University also offers a range of degree and certification programs that benefit military students in addition to giving credit for the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). Northwest also follows American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations when granting credit for military experience or from other regionally accredited institutions as transcripts are evaluated by the Office of Admissions.
Further enhancing its services for veterans, Northwest partners with multiple veterans organizations and regularly hosts a veterans service officer to assist with filing for VA benefits. Northwest participates in several federal and Missouri state programs such as the GI Bill and Missouri Returning Heroes and offers a variety of scholarships for military personnel and veterans, including a National Guard Scholarship to assist military students with housing. For more information about resources available to veterans at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/veterans/.
In partnership with the Missouri Army National Guard, Northwest also offers the Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program to develop qualified Missouri citizens into commissioned officers through classroom instruction, leadership laboratories and a physical conditioning program.
With an enrollment of more than 9,000 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus and through Northwest Online.
Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest boasts a high retention rate and a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 78 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 75 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.
Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data.
Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers while maintaining competitively low tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.
Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area, a partnership with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.
The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program.
For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.
Launched in 2003 as an advocacy vehicle to encourage civilian organizations to invest in programs to recruit, retain and advance veterans as employees, entrepreneurs and students, the Military Friendly Schools list annually provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families, using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools and responses to the proprietary Military Friendly Schools survey. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting are 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 post-secondary 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. Viqtory and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about Viqtory at www.viqtory.com.
