Military Times Names SUNY Canton Among Best Schools in NY for Veterans

Military Times magazine has once again identified SUNY Canton as one of the best schools in the state for former service members, according to the publication’s 2025 “Best for Vets” college rankings.

The college placed 13th in New York and 18th overall in the Northeast. Rankings are based on survey results from participating colleges and universities, along with public data from the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Veterans Affairs.

SUNY Canton currently serves 171 military-affiliated students and has been recognized as a Best for Vets college since 2015. Rankings consider benefits such as priority class registration for military-connected students and academic credit for military experience. The college also has a dedicated staff member, Director of Military Connected Benefits & Recruitment Patrick S. Massaro, who provides personalized guidance on how to navigate and utilize military tuition assistance benefits.

Homeland Security major and transfer student Nathaniel L. Steelman, an Army veteran and current reservist who resides in Watertown, selected SUNY Canton because of the personal attention and assistance he received from Massaro when inquiring about his intended major.

“Among all the schools I considered, SUNY Canton was the most helpful and knowledgeable about utilizing military benefits,” Steelman said. “Patrick helped make the process of transferring from Jefferson Community College as seamless as possible.”

Once enrolled, Steelman added that his instructors were always accommodating when he was required to fulfill his obligations as an IT specialist for the Army reserves.

“Often I would be required to attend training drills during weekends in other parts of the state, which would conflict with assignment deadlines,” he said. “My instructors always were open to offering extensions when those instances arose.”

To further its standing as a military-friendly college, SUNY Canton University Police Chief Timothy Ashley recently worked with Massaro to dedicate several parking spaces in high-traffic areas on campus exclusively for veteran students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

“As an added benefit to parking-fee waivers for former service members, we’re proud to offer this additional token of appreciation to our veterans, who are an important part of our college community,” Ashley said.

In addition to the veteran-friendly ranking, SUNY Canton has also earned accolades for its benefits for active-duty members from G.I. Jobs Magazine.

The college was recently named a lead participant in the SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program, which builds upon an announcement in July that the college would offer fee scholarships for active-duty, reservist, and National Guard service members beginning in the Fall 2025 semester.

Check out the entire 2025 Military Times Best for Vets list.