PirateQ 
Pensacola State College announced today that it has earned the 2026-2027 Military Friendly® School designation, recognized as a Silver School, and the 2026-2027 Military Spouse Friendly® School designation.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 3,200 companies participated in the Military Friendly® survey.
Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Military Friendly®, 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.
PSC scored highest in the Support and Retention category with survey results reflecting “a robust, dedicated support ecosystem that military students experience from day one.”
The college offers five full-time veteran counselors and advisers on staff and a dedicated Veteran and Military Family Service Center with a veteran-to-veteran peer mentoring program, on-campus veteran social space and study lounge, an active Student Veterans of America chapter and collaboration with veteran service organizations, including the American Legion and VFW.
The Military Friendly® survey also found that PSC serves as a strategic launchpad for military students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at a fraction of the cost of enrolling directly at a university; that PSC students graduate without the financial burden that follows many university graduates; that PSC is fully credentialed, fully compliant and fully trusted by the federal agencies that protect military students’ educational interests; and that nearly one in four students on campus at PSC has a military connection.
The college’s 68.8% one-year retention rate and a median student loan debt of $0, for both all students and veteran and military students, demonstrate that PSC is an institution where students stay, finish and leave without the financial burden that often follows college graduates.
“Our faculty and staff at Pensacola State College make a concerted effort to honor and assist our active-duty military, veterans and military family members who are pursuing higher education,” said PSC President Ed Meadows. “I congratulate our team — particularly the dedicated staff in the Veteran and Military Family Service Center on the Pensacola campus, the VetCV Mission Next Center in Milton and our TRIO Veterans Upward Bound program — for again earning this designation and commend them for their service to our local military community.”
“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,” said Military Friendly® Vice President of Memberships Kayla Lopez.
PSC has also earned recognition as a 2026-2027 Military Spouse Friendly® School, reflecting the college’s commitment to the whole military family.
Currently, there are 755 military spouses and dependents enrolled at PJC, offering MyCAA-approved programs (authorized for the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Scholarship program), in-state tuition for spouses using VA benefits, and flexible policies that allow students to pause, relocate or continue coursework online as military orders require.
The college’s veteran and military transfer rate of 58% and a loan default rate of less than 1% further validate PSC’s standing as a genuine launchpad, not just an entry point. That standing is backed by a clean federal record: no VA-registered complaints, no federal flags of any kind, and no accreditation issues.
“We not only welcome veteran and military students, but we have built an environment here where servicemembers and their families can find a supportive campus community and pursue their education with confidence,” said Meadows.
PSC will be showcased in the 2026-2027 Guide to Military Friendly Schools® in the April issue of G.I. Jobs® magazine and on MilitaryFriendly.com.
This is PSC’s 17th Military Friendly® School designation and its second Military Spouse Friendly® School designation. The college has also made the Military Times Best for Vets Colleges list and has received the Purple Heart College designation from the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Collegiate Purple Star Campus designation from the Florida Department of Education.
PSC offers veteran resources and information online at pensacolastate.edu and by calling the Veteran Services Office at (850) 484-1670 or the Department of Veterans Affairs at (888) 442-4551.
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 3,200 organizations compete annually for the Military Friendly Schools® 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 http://www.militaryfriendly.com.