UC Davis Graduate School of Management Recognized as Top 5 Military Friendly® School
Four consecutive years honored for supporting military students and families
(Davis, Calif.) — For the fourth consecutive year, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM) has been named a Gold Level Top-10 Military Friendly® graduate school for 2025-26 by VIQTORY's militaryfriendly.com.
The UC Davis GSM is ranked No. 4 among graduate schools, up from No. 5 last year, and the only University of California and California-located graduate school among the top 10.
UC Davis is also ranked as the No. 5 Military Spouse Friendly School among top graduate schools, reflecting the support the management school's community offers families of military students.
The Military Friendly® Schools survey is the longest-running, most comprehensive review of college and university investments in serving military and veteran students.
Gold Award winners have programs that scored within 10 percent of the 10th-ranked institution within a given category.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as a top-10 military-friendly graduate program for the fourth consecutive year, and among the top 5 again this year,” said H. Rao Unnava, the Michael and Joelle Hurlston Dean and professor at the School. “We’re proud of our student veterans and their achievements inside and outside of the classroom and we’re thankful they chose to continue their education with us.”
"I chose UC Davis for the globally ranked faculty, the Bay Area location with the San Ramon campus, and the collaboration within the intensive curriculum. It is also a top part-time MBA program among public universities," said Bay Area MBA student John Paul Estigoy, who served in the US Air Force as a Crew Chief Aircraft Mechanic.
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management welcomes applicants from the various branches of the military. It is committed to making merit scholarships and financial aid available to qualified military personnel.
Meet a few of our military students and recent alumni
(click on photos)
Sacramento Part-Time MBA student Anna Velez (right) served as a US Army Captain in Armor / Cavalry for six years from 2017-2023, including Operation Inherent Resolve in Al Asad, Iraq, from 2018-2019.
Double Aggie alumnus Eduardo Saavedra MSBA 24 (second from left) has served as a Combat Medic Specialist in the US Army Reserve since 2019 and is trained to provide first aid, emergency healthcare, and evacuation in diverse and challenging environments.
Online MBA student Ifee Nnebe currently serves as a General Dentist Officer in the US Army Reserve since 2017. Meanwhile, for the past five years she has been a dentist at BSC Dental Smiles in Folsom, CA.
Sacramento Part-Time MBA Bryan Tauzer has been an active duty in the US Army for nearly 15 years and is currently an assistant professor of military science at UC Davis training cadets.
Sacramento Part-Time MBA Anthony Trimble serves as a Senior Watch Chief in the US Marine Corps Reserves and was formerly a counterintelligence operative with the Marines.
About Military Friendly® Schools Designation
The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an
independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate. Learn more.
Related content
Service, Strategy, and Success: The Veteran's Advantage in the UC Davis MBA
My MBA journey as an U.S. Coast Guardsman
Finding Purpose: Pursuing an MBA after U.S. Military Service
‘The veteran network is incredibly strong’
