The Strategic Advantage of Recruiting Veterans
In Part 1, we explored how Veterans bring unmatched leadership and global experience to higher education. Now, we examine how their presence drives measurable success — from higher retention and engagement to financial sustainability and university reputation.
Built-in Success Factors
Veterans solve many of the challenges that keep administrators up at night — increasing student engagement, improving retention, and ensuring accountability.
They bring with them habits and systems of accountability, through years of military training. Veterans have ingrained patterns of timeliness, preparation, follow-through, and grit under pressure.
According to the National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST), student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill achieve a 72% success rate in higher education — including persistence, retention, and graduation — compared to national averages.⁴ They also earn average GPAs 0.4 points higher than civilian peers, underscoring their academic performance.⁴
The Ripple Effect: Veterans Transform Entire Campus Communities
Veterans’ presence goes far beyond their own success. Their leadership elevates peers, classrooms, and the wider campus culture.
Military Veterans contribute actively to student organizations, serve as mentors, and enrich alumni networks. Their influence leads to increased engagement, higher retention rates, improved campus climate, and greater alumni involvement and donor giving. Their positive impact ripples throughout the campus, raising cultural standards and offering universities a strategic advantage in building a vibrant, inclusive community.
The Financial and Strategic Advantage
Beyond culture and academics, Veterans provide tangible financial benefits to universities.
Most veterans come with funding already secured through programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, one of the largest tuition assistance programs in existence. That means universities receive tuition directly, reducing the need for institutional aid while attracting high-performing students with proven track records.
Veteran graduates also enhance employment outcomes.
Amazon surpassed its goal to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2024.⁵
Starbucks reached its 25,000-veteran hiring commitment ahead of schedule and continues to add 5,000 annually.⁶
JPMorgan Chase helped co-found a coalition of Fortune 500 companies that has collectively hired over one million veterans since 2011.⁷
Universities with strong veteran populations position themselves as pipelines to these employers, improving graduate outcomes and strengthening relationships with top global companies.
Missing the Mark
Despite these clear advantages, many universities continue to treat veteran recruitment as an afterthought.
While institutions have made progress in supporting existing veteran students, few have built intentional pipelines to recruit them. This is a missed opportunity.
Veterans represent a high-value, low-risk, high-return student segment. Yet the competition for veterans remains surprisingly low compared to other demographics. Meaning universities that prioritize veteran recruiting can gain substantial advantages both now and in the future.
Arizona State University sets the example. Through its Pat Tillman Veterans Center and targeted outreach, ASU now serves over 14,000 military-connected students — enhancing its national reputation and building direct pipelines to major employers seeking Veteran talent.
The best universities of the next decade will be those that prioritize veterans through holistic veteran-friendly policies and intentional recruiting programs — not only because it’s right, but because it’s smart business.
Veterans across the country are ready to bring their unique perspectives, proven discipline, and global fluency to higher education.
The choice is simple: continue competing for the same traditional student pools — or tap into this underutilized, high-performing population.
Veterans are ready. The value proposition is undeniable. The competitive edge awaits universities wise enough to welcome them.
Missed Part 1? Read: The Untapped Power of Veterans in Higher Education →
References
Student Veterans of America. (2017). National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST) Report.
Amazon. (2024). Amazon surpasses its goal to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses.
Starbucks. (2024). Military Commitment Timeline.
Business Wire. (2025). Veteran Jobs Mission Coalition Surpasses 1 Million Veterans Hired.
