Azusa Pacific University has earned the 2025-2026 Military Friendly® School designation with Gold Status, ranking in the top 10 percent of all institutions nationwide, for offering comprehensive services and support to veteran and military-connected students.
“Being selected for this top Military Friendly® designation underscores Azusa Pacific University’s deep commitment to our military-connected students,” said Adam J. Morris, PhD, president. “We strive to help these students successfully navigate their college experience so that they grow academically, spiritually, and professionally. Our veterans and service members along with their families enrich our campus immeasurably.”
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.
“We’re truly honored to be recognized as a Military Friendly® gold status school,” said Everette Brooks III, MBA, executive director of Military and Veterans Services. “This recognition testifies to how we build relationships with and support our students to succeed inside and outside of the classroom.”
APU recently received a $10 million donation from an anonymous donor, which will support building a new Military and Veterans Center. The center will offer a dedicated space on the university's East Campus to serve the needs of APU’s growing military-connected student population. The gift will also support enhanced services and programming for current and prospective military-connected students, building upon APU’s nationally recognized programs.
APU is home to more than 300 veteran and military-connected students, who can use their GI Bill® military education benefits and to earn their degrees from a top-ranked university. APU’s services for military-connected students provide a network of support to ensure a smooth transition for students going from military to civilian life, while also helping students maximize their military education benefits. APU, including all regional campus locations, fully complies with Executive Order 13607 establishing Principles of Excellence for educational institutions serving servicemembers, veterans, spouses, and other family members.
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.
Azusa Pacific University, a top Christian higher education institution on the West Coast, equips students to become compassionate leaders who impact the world for Christ. APU offers 66 bachelor’s degrees, 40 master’s degrees, 32 certificates and credentials, and 9 doctoral programs to more than 6,500 students at the university’s main campus in Azusa, several regional locations across Southern California, and online. Learn more at apu.edu.