NICEVILLE, Fla. (April 23, 2025) - Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) has been recognized as a Gold-level Military Friendly® School for the 2025-2026 academic year, a prestigious designation awarded following an independent evaluation of more than 1,800 colleges and universities nationwide.
NWFSC stands out as one of only six public colleges or universities in Florida to achieve the gold-level status this year, highlighting the college’s ongoing commitment to supporting military service members, veterans, and their families through tailored resources, academic support, and career readiness initiatives.
“We are honored to be recognized as a Gold-level Military Friendly® School,” said NWFSC President Mel Ponder. “This distinction reflects our deep commitment to those who serve and have served our nation, and it underscores the inclusive, supportive environment we strive to foster at Northwest Florida State College.”
The Military Friendly® Schools list is compiled annually based on public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Final ratings are determined by assessing student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rates among all students—particularly military and veteran students.
This recognition reinforces NWFSC’s strong ties to the region’s military community and its mission to provide accessible, high-quality education and workforce training. According to 2023 data, more than 5% of all Northwest Florida State College student receive post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. That’s nearly three times the Florida College System average.
For more information about NWFSC’s military and veteran services, visit www.nwfsc.edu. To view the full rankings, visit militaryfriendly.com.
