Best Online Military-Friendly Colleges of 2026

Why We Chose It: Its military services office includes staff from every branch, career transition services, and academic and financial advising for military and veteran students.

George Mason University's Office of Military Services team helps it stand out among its peers in its support for veterans, active-duty students, reservists, and military dependents. The office is staffed by veterans who can help student veterans navigate their VA benefits. Additionally, staff offers a wider range of supports, including with academic and financial aid advising, plus career services to help with the postgraduation transition. 

While many institutions have services for veteran students, GMU goes beyond the call of duty in many ways. The school's Military Alliance Program (MAP), for example, trains faculty and staff to be certified "military friendly staff members." Veterans can also apply to have coursework from military academies applied as credit to their studies at George Mason, potentially lowering the timeline to degree completion. 

What We Like About GMU

• George Mason's online coursework offers a mix of synchronous and asynchronous classes, giving students options. 
• Six institutional scholarships are offered exclusively to military students. 
• There are no financial penalties for students who are deployed, mobilized, or must change their duty assignment after classes have started. 

What We Don't Like

• Overall, GMU has a pedestrian 68% graduation rate — less than the national average for public universities. 
• No online doctoral degrees are offered. 

Why We Chose It: Cheap tuition and strong military benefits are available for online University of Central Florida students residing in The Sunshine State. 

The state is home to nearly 1.4 million veterans and more than 67,000 active military members who could be eligible to take advantage of the University of Central Florida Online, which offers more than 90 fully online degree programs, 42 online minors, and 21 online undergraduate certificates. And the C.W. Bill Young Tuition Waiver Program means that even out-of-state students can pay in-state tuition and fees if they physically reside in Florida and can prove they were honorably discharged from the military. 

Additionally, UCF is the only school in the southeastern U.S. participating in the Service to Service initiative, which connects veterans to graduate programs in public service and helps place them in related jobs after graduation.

What We Like About UCF

• Over a dozen student success coaches are available specifically for UCF Online students. 
• Students can book a 45-minute online consultation to help with writing assignments and projects. 
• UCF overall has an exceptional 77% graduation rate among Pell Grant recipients. 

What We Don't Like

• Yellow Ribbon funding is limited to 30 undergraduate students and 10 graduate students each year. 
• There are no online bachelor's degree options in business, and only one online master's in business administration (MBA) is offered. 

Why We Chose It: On top of already-low tuition, this Yellow Ribbon school contributes up to $6,500 per year not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The University of Florida Online is an affordable option for military veterans, especially those pursuing an undergraduate degree. According to the institution, Florida residents pay just $129 per credit in tuition and fees for UF Online, which is 39% cheaper than the per credit cost of on-campus learning at UF. For non-Florida residents, online students pay approximately $553 per credit, which is 46% cheaper than their in-person rate. 

Costs can be even lower for military veterans. For example, honorably discharged veterans and those using Veterans Affairs benefits while living in Florida can apply for an out-of-state tuition fee waiver, meaning they can pay the in-state tuition rate. The institution also contributes up to $6,500 per year through the Yellow Ribbon program, and the VA then matches that contribution.

What We Like About UF

• Programs are 100% online, and graduates receive the same UF degree as in-person students. 
• UF offers 94 online master's degree programs, including specializations in fields such as veterinary medical sciences and mass communication. 
• UF Online Onestop is a student support team specifically for online-only students. 

What We Don't Like

• Yellow Ribbon funding is limited to just 20 undergraduate and 10 graduate students per year on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• Program costs vary at the master's level, with an executive master of business administration (MBA) costing nearly $63,000.

Why We Chose It: The fully online master of arts in defense and strategic studies program is tailored to military, intelligence, security and strategic leadership careers.

Mizzou Online offers students the opportunity to pursue a degree that will advance their military careers through its online master’s in defense and strategic studies. The institution claims that the degree program can allow field-grade military officers to pursue positions such as battalion commander, squadron commander, division officer, or joint staff officer, among other potential jobs within the military. 

The program's eight-week courses also allow full-time military members to pursue the degree while still serving their country. Students can take three courses per term and finish the master's program in just one year. 

Additionally, the University of Missouri accepts up to 12 transfer credits for students who have completed their Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at select military command and staff colleges. Overall, it's a program specifically designed to serve military members and veterans. 

What We Like About MU

• Missouri's Returning Heroes' Education Act limits undergraduate charges for qualifying combat veterans to $50 per credit hour in approved programs. 
• Mizzou Online offers a 10% tuition discount for veterans pursuing an online degree.
• Over 200 online programs across bachelor's, master's, certificate, and doctoral programs are available, giving students many options. 

What We Don't Like

• The University of Missouri has the highest average net price of any of the institutions in this ranking. 

Why We Chose It: Flat UOnline tuition for all means tuition is the same for Utah residents and nonresidents.

The University of Utah charges the same tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students for all UOnline undergraduate programs and most graduate programs. This makes UOnline an attractive option for student veterans who don't reside in the state. They won't have to worry about being upcharged for being an out-of-state student. In many instances, out-of-state tuition and fees can be double or triple the cost of in-state tuition at most public universities. 

For example, both a Utah resident and a nonresident will pay just over $8,000 per semester in tuition for a bachelor of science (BS) in economics degree from UOnline. While that is higher than the cost of the same degree for on-campus students who are Utah residents ($4,900), it is still significantly less than the out-of-state tuition for a bachelor's degree in economics ($17,000).

Most public universities charge differing tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students, even for online programs, making the University of Utah's pricing model distinct from other schools in this ranking.  

What We Like About UOnline

• Utah accepts credit for military training if students send a copy of their Joint Services Transcript (JST). 
• Student veterans using Veterans Affairs benefits get priority registration, meaning they often get first dibs on limited space classes. 
• Yellow Ribbon funding is available for up to 250 students each year, much more than other schools in this ranking. 

What We Don't Like

• Only two undergraduate certificates are offered through UOnline, compared to 10 graduate certificates. 
• UOnline follows the same academic calendar as in-person learning, limiting flexibility. 
• The graduation rate (62%) is below average for a public university.