LACEY, Wash. — Earning a Gold Military Friendly® designation signifies that an institution has demonstrated exceptional success in supporting military students through strong outcomes in areas such as student retention, graduation, career placement, and dedicated support services. The Military Spouse Friendly® designation further recognizes institutions that provide meaningful resources, flexible programs and support systems designed to help military spouses succeed academically and professionally while handling the unique challenges of military life. Together, these recognitions reflect a deep institutional commitment to serving veterans, active-duty servicemembers and their families through sustained, student-centered support.
“Receiving this recognition reflects the diligent work that our faculty and staff do every day to ensure that military-affiliated students feel supported from enrollment through graduation,” said Bill Brownsberger, S.T.D., president of Saint Martin’s University. “We are proud to serve those who have served 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 3,200 schools participated in the 2026-27 survey with 878 earning a Military Friendly ® designation and 730 recognized as Military Spouse Friendly School ®.* The 2026-27 Military Friendly® Schools list can be found in the April issue of G.I. Jobs ® magazine and on www.militaryfriendly.com.
Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Military Friendly ® with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council, a group of independent leaders in the military community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’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.
“Programs designed specifically for military-affiliated students help ensure they can translate their leadership experience and technical skills into long-term academic and career success,” said Adam Takata, director of the Washington Veterans to Technology (Vets 2 Tech) certificate program. “This designation highlights the strong partnerships we’ve built with the military community and reinforces our commitment to helping service members transition successfully into civilian and professional careers.”
“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,” said Kayla Lopez, vice president of memberships, Military Friendly®. “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.”
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.
* According to the 2026-2027 Military Friendly® Schools Data Snapshot, found on militaryfriendly.com.
About Military Friendly ®
Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Over 2,900 organizations compete annually for the Military Friendly® designation. Military Friendly® is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business. Military Friendly® is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or the federal government. Results are produced via a rules-based algorithm. The data-driven Military Friendly® lists and methodology can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
About Saint Martin’s University:
Saint Martin’s University is an independent coeducational university, with undergraduate and graduate offerings, located on a wooded campus of more than 380 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University empowers students to pursue a lifetime of learning and accomplishment through its 31 majors, 11 master’s programs, one doctorate program and six certificate programs spanning the arts and sciences, business, counseling, education, engineering, nursing, and leadership. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,300 undergraduate students and 250 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and more students to its extended campus located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
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