Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Tuscaloosa, AL

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Alabama > Tuscaloosa

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Tuscaloosa offer fully online programs and report both credit for military training and a dedicated point of contact for veterans, servicemembers, and their families (IPEDS IC 2024); 5 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Birmingham Airport, about 50 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 Navy, 3 Air Force, 1 National Guard, 1 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, about 2 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is The University of Alabama.

Military-friendly online colleges near Tuscaloosa

Schools based in Alabama that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Tuscaloosa city center, with BOC Score on each card. The tags on each card are the school’s own IPEDS answers for the four military services. The distance table further down covers the nearest qualifying schools regardless of state line.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Tuscaloosa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 2.0 miles from Tuscaloosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
69.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,221
Avg net price $22,420/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 115

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Stillman College

Tuscaloosa, AL 4.2 miles from Tuscaloosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
31.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,421
Avg net price $15,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Shelton State Community College

Tuscaloosa, AL 8.2 miles from Tuscaloosa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,014
Avg net price $14,557/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, ALYesYesYesYes69.72 mi
Samford UniversityBirmingham, ALYesYesYesYes66.945 mi
Itawamba Community CollegeFulton, MSYesYesYesNo63.088 mi
Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MSYesYesYesYes61.574 mi
University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, ALYesYesYesYes58.646 mi
East Mississippi Community CollegeScooba, MSYesYesYesNo57.762 mi
Mississippi University for WomenColumbus, MSYesYesYesNo57.154 mi
George C Wallace State Community College-HancevilleHanceville, ALYesYesYesYes52.672 mi
Amridge UniversityMontgomery, ALYesYesYesNo51.599 mi
Meridian Community CollegeMeridian, MSYesYesYesNo50.692 mi

Alabama has 43 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Alabama page lists them all.

Military installations near Tuscaloosa

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Tuscaloosa
Birmingham AirportOther50 mi
Columbus AFBAir Force60 mi
Naval Air Station MeridianNavy77 mi
Naval Outlying Field BravoNavy81 mi
Maxwell AFBAir Force90 mi
Montgomery Regional Airport Army National GuardNational Guard92 mi
Maxwell Air Force Base (Gunter Annex)Air Force94 mi
Anniston Army DepArmy94 mi

Common post-service careers near Tuscaloosa

Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area where BLS publishes it.

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$99,460Tuscaloosa, AL metro$113,409
Logisticians$85,260Tuscaloosa, AL metro$97,218
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$59,670Tuscaloosa, AL metro$68,039
Medical and Health Services Managers$96,110Tuscaloosa, AL metro$109,590
Project Management Specialists$93,380Tuscaloosa, AL metro$106,477
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$79,320Tuscaloosa, AL metro$90,445
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$125,100Tuscaloosa, AL metro$142,645

BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; rows marked with the metro name are metro medians, the rest are statewide.

Campuses within 30 miles of Tuscaloosa

  • The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL), 2 mi, 4 of 4 services reported

Nearby cities

Benefit eligibility is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and your service’s education office. Nothing on this page guarantees education benefits, credit transfer, admission, or a particular cost. Confirm every detail with the school’s military or veteran services office before you enroll.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024): veteran and military services indicators (VET2 through VET5), distance-education program flag (DISTPGS); BOC Score from College Scorecard and IPEDS outcome data; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 Military Installations layer (installation names as recorded there); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; Census ACS 5-year estimates. Directory counts as of the September 2026 refresh.