Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Mesa, AZ (2026)

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Mesa 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); 7 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard Papago Military Reserve, about 15 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Air Force, 5 National Guard, 1 Other). 8 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ, about 9 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Arizona State University Campus Immersion. Mesa has a population of about 507,478 and a median household income of $78,779; 31.5 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Mesa

Schools based in Arizona that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Mesa 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 Mesa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Mesa Community College

Mesa, AZ 8.9 miles from Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,034
Avg net price $12,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

School Location Credit for military training Dedicated military contact DoD MOU member Student veteran org BOC Score Distance
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 76.2 13 mi
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 69.6 92 mi
University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ Yes Yes Yes No 67.4 15 mi
Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 61.9 13 mi
Carrington College-Phoenix North Phoenix, AZ Yes Yes No No 60.9 25 mi
Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 60.8 15 mi
Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ Yes Yes No No 60.1 27 mi
Yavapai College Prescott, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 57.1 90 mi
Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 54.7 12 mi
Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ Yes Yes Yes Yes 54.1 9 mi

Arizona has 38 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Arizona page lists them all.

Military installations near Mesa

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Mesa
National Guard Papago Military Reserve National Guard 15 mi
Sky Harbour Iap Other 17 mi
National Guard Florence Military Reserve National Guard 29 mi
Luke AFB Air Force 39 mi
National Guard Buckeye National Guard 51 mi
Luke AFB Auxiliary Field 1 Air Force 51 mi
National Guard Picacho Aviation Training Site National Guard 53 mi
National Guard Silver Bell Army Heliport National Guard 65 mi

Common post-service careers near Mesa

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $130,360 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $126,196
Logisticians $79,370 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $76,834
Emergency Management Directors $85,760 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $83,020
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $85,050 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $82,333
Medical and Health Services Managers $130,070 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $125,915
Project Management Specialists $100,780 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $97,561
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $93,730 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $90,736
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,710 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro $96,525

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 Mesa

  • Mesa Community College (Mesa, AZ), 9 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Scottsdale Community College (Scottsdale, AZ), 12 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Arizona State University Campus Immersion (Tempe, AZ), 13 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Arizona State University Digital Immersion (Scottsdale, AZ), 13 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Rio Salado College (Tempe, AZ), 15 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • University of Advancing Technology (Tempe, AZ), 15 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
  • Carrington College-Phoenix North (Phoenix, AZ), 25 mi, 2 of 4 services reported
  • Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ), 27 mi, 2 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.