McDaniel College again recognized as Military Friendly®

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, McDaniel College has again been recognized among the nation’s top schools for military and veteran students. 

McDaniel has earned a Military Friendly® Schools designation with silver status, as well as recognition as a Military Spouse Friendly® School for supporting military spouses in pursuing their educational goals.

McDaniel has annually made the list of Military Friendly® Schools since it was first published in 2009 and appears in the 2026-27 Guide to Military Friendly® Schools in G.J. Jobs magazine and online at MilitaryFriendly.com.

Institutions were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey that was completed by over 3,200 schools. McDaniel was one of 878 schools to receive a Military Friendly® Schools designation and one of 730 schools to be recognized as Military Spouse Friendly®, according to the 2026-27 Military Friendly® Schools Data Snapshot. 

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Military Friendly®, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business, in consultation with the Military Friendly® Advisory Council, a group of independent leaders in the military community. Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score, public data, and an assessment of the institution’s ability to meet and exceed thresholds for student recruitment, retention, academic progress, graduation rates, career placement, and support services for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses.

The Green Terror Battalion Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is one of the nation’s oldest ROTC programs, founded at McDaniel College in 1919. McDaniel also offers a guaranteed Military and First Responder Legacy Scholarship, valued at up to $132,000 over four years to all military veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their children, as well as first responders. This includes children of military servicemembers and first responders who died in the line of duty, regardless of years of service. In addition, McDaniel participates in the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program, which covers up to the cost of full tuition at McDaniel.

According to Kayla Lopez, vice president at Military Friendly®, “Earning the Military Friendly® designation is more than a badge of honor; it is a reflection of an institution’s deep-rooted values and strategic commitment to those who served. These schools don’t just open doors for veterans and military spouses, they build sustainable pathways for academic success and long-term impact. Their support is transformative, proving that investing in military-connected students is both a moral imperative and a standard for educational excellence.”