UST Ranked No. 13 in Texas by Military Times ‘Best for Vets: Colleges’

Military Times released its 2025 Best for Vets: Colleges rankings, and University of St. Thomas-Houston ranked No. 13 in Texas for its extensive veterans' services, showcasing the resources UST pours into those who have served our country.

Dr. Trisha Nicole Ruiz, senior director of Veteran Services at UST, said this designation is a direct reflection of the hard work and commitment the Veterans Success Center team has put into making sure all military-connected students feel welcomed, supported and equipped to succeed.

"From academic success coaching to social/emotional veteran specific programming, we strive to create a holistic ecosystem where military-connected students can thrive both personally and professionally," Dr. Ruiz said. "Here at UST, we do not just enroll veterans, we empower them in an environment designed to support them as they transition into civilian life and achieve their goals."

The Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges ranking is the most trusted, comprehensive list of U.S. colleges and universities committed to supporting military service members, veterans and their families. This year's list includes 357 institutions. Military Times collects data from colleges across the country, and institutions are evaluated on academic quality, student support services, affordability, and outcomes for veterans, including graduation and retention rates.

"For 15 years, Best for Vets has helped transitioning service members find schools that not only welcome veterans but actively invest in their success," said Jon Simkins, Executive Editor of Military Times and Sightline Media Group. "The record-breaking participation this year shows that higher education leaders are listening and working to create environments where veterans can thrive academically and personally."

UST ranked No. 13 in Texas, No. 22 in the Southwest, No. 130 in Private not-for-profit and No. 215 overall.

The Veteran Success Center, located at 4219 Yoakum, provides student veterans with the experience of comradery among individuals who understand how challenging re-entry can be. The center currently serves 272 military-connected students from all branches of the military except for the Space Force. The center offers a study room and an eat-in kitchen with complimentary snacks. Private offices provide settings where veterans can meet with representatives of visiting organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and free legal aid groups. UST has enrolled and graduated hundreds of military-connected students, including spouses and children of veterans.

Dr. Ruiz said what sets the UST Veteran Success Center apart is the personal, relationship-driven support provided.

"When a veteran comes to UST, they are connected with the same dedicated experts throughout their entire academic journey - from admissions and military education benefits counseling to graduation and career planning," she said. "Our team is made up of veterans ourselves, so we understand the challenges and questions that come with moving from the military to higher education based on our personal lived experiences. Because of that shared experience, we build genuine relationships with our military-connected veterans."

The staff at the Veteran Success Center also unite all veterans on campus - faculty, staff and students - to rise to the occasion when needed too. Campus veterans are among the first on campus to step up in food drives, deliver supplies in natural disasters, spearhead commemorative rucks on Veterans Day and 9/11, and educate the larger UST community in a shared understanding of service.

Dr. Ruiz said investing in veterans is an investment in the future of our society.

"Veterans have made significant sacrifices for our country and higher education is the vehicle that drives them to find new opportunities post service," she said. "At UST, we believe that they deserve a nurturing environment that allows them to grow their faith as they discover their new purpose or 'why' in life. When you take that uniform off and unlace your boots for the last time, veterans and pushed into a space of curiosity as they explore their next chapter in life. The academic opportunities that we offer allow them the chance to earn gainful employment, earn respectable pay, and pursue lives of purpose, service, and success - continuing the mission they began in uniform, now shaped by knowledge, faith and opportunity."

Dr. Ruiz said that mission articulates the overall UST mission that calls us to form leaders of faith and character - values that veterans already embody.

"Our environment helps them take the discipline, resilience and purpose they lived in uniform and reinterpret it for their next chapter in life," she said. "The alignment between who they are and what UST stands for is powerful, and that is what makes this a place where veterans truly flourish."

The full 2025 ranking, along with an interactive database of schools, can be found at bestforvets.militarytimes.com/colleges.

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