The University of Arizona is one of the nation's best universities for service members, according to Military Times.

UArizona rose to No. 8 overall, No. 6 among public universities and No. 1 in the West in the latest edition of the Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges 2022 ranking, released Tuesday. This is the university's highest position in this ranking and represents a six-spot increase from its overall position last year and a 44-spot leap from its inaugural appearance in the list in 2018.

A total of 311 colleges and universities qualified for inclusion in this year's list.

"We believe it is our responsibility to provide world-class educational and research opportunities, along with a wide range of support services, for our military-connected students and their families," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "We are honored to have these remarkable students in the Wildcat family, and we are thrilled to see our efforts recognized by Military Times."

The university continues to improve access and increase research opportunities for all service members and their families – including students in the National Guard and the Reserves. The university's Veterans Education and Transition Services seeks to provide a comprehensive set of services to ensure students transition successfully to the university environment, graduate and obtain meaningful employment. Since its inception in 2008, VETS has been recognized as one of the top programs for student veterans in the country.

"In order to support the success of our student veterans and their families, we must constantly strive to understand their experience in an authentic way," said Bruce Grissom, director of the VETS program. "Our year-over-year improvement in these rankings shows that the hard work and dedication of our team is truly making an impact."

In 2018, the total cost for active-duty military undergraduate students using U.S. Department of Defense tuition assistance was set at $250 per credit hour at UArizona. The Department of Defense covers tuition costs for active-duty undergraduate students up to $250 per credit hour, which means many of these students are eligible to attend UArizona without paying tuition. This plan also includes students in the National Guard and the Reserves. Military personnel are eligible to receive this benefit when enrolling in undergraduate programs at the main campus, through Arizona Online or at any of the university's statewide distance locations. The university offers a variety of military aid options as well.

Earlier this year, Arizona Online earned a No. 4 ranking overall (No. 3 among public universities) for its bachelor's program offerings for veterans in U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best Online Bachelor's Programs ranking, a one-spot jump from last year and a four-position increase from 2020.

This year's Best for Vets: Colleges survey includes responses from more than 300 schools that answered more than 70 questions on their services and programs specific to military students — whether active-duty, veteran or families and dependents of service members.

Student success metrics are the most important factor in determining the relative ranking of schools on this year's list, followed closely by the range of military-specific resources and the level of financial assistance they offer. Admissions and registration policies, human resources and assorted miscellaneous considerations also factor into the scoring rubric. Survey respondents also are asked to describe a variety of aspects relating to veterans' culture on campus.