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

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Tempe 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 Sky Harbour Iap, about 5 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (3 Air Force, 4 National Guard, 1 Other). 8 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Arizona State University Campus Immersion in Tempe, AZ, about 2 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Arizona State University Campus Immersion. Tempe has a population of about 186,419 and a median household income of $77,643; 49.5 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Tempe

Schools based in Arizona that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Tempe 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 Tempe. 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

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts

Tempe, AZ 1.1 miles from Tempe
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
27.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 13%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,544
Avg net price $43,883/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ 2.1 miles from Tempe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
Avg net price $14,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 305

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Advancing Technology

Tempe, AZ 2.7 miles from Tempe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,719
Avg net price $28,522/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Sonoran Desert Institute

Tempe, AZ 2.9 miles from Tempe
  • 2 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
39.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Avg net price $20,678/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Rio Salado College

Tempe, AZ 3.0 miles from Tempe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
60.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,015
Avg net price $8,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bryan University

Tempe, AZ 3.5 miles from Tempe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
44.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,283
Avg net price $20,834/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZYesYesYesYes76.22 mi
University of ArizonaTucson, AZYesYesYesYes69.698 mi
University of Advancing TechnologyTempe, AZYesYesYesNo67.43 mi
Arizona State University Digital ImmersionScottsdale, AZYesYesYesYes61.95 mi
Carrington College-Phoenix NorthPhoenix, AZYesYesNoNo60.916 mi
Rio Salado CollegeTempe, AZYesYesYesYes60.83 mi
Pima Medical Institute-PhoenixPhoenix, AZYesYesNoNo60.119 mi
Yavapai CollegePrescott, AZYesYesYesYes57.186 mi
Scottsdale Community CollegeScottsdale, AZYesYesYesYes54.79 mi
Mesa Community CollegeMesa, AZYesYesYesYes54.13 mi

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

Military installations near Tempe

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Tempe
Sky Harbour IapOther5 mi
National Guard Papago Military ReserveNational Guard6 mi
Luke AFBAir Force27 mi
National Guard Florence Military ReserveNational Guard39 mi
National Guard BuckeyeNational Guard39 mi
Luke AFB Auxiliary Field 1Air Force41 mi
National Guard Picacho Aviation Training SiteNational Guard56 mi
Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary FldAir Force58 mi

Common post-service careers near Tempe

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.

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

  • Arizona State University Campus Immersion (Tempe, AZ), 2 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • University of Advancing Technology (Tempe, AZ), 3 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
  • Rio Salado College (Tempe, AZ), 3 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Mesa Community College (Mesa, AZ), 3 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Arizona State University Digital Immersion (Scottsdale, AZ), 5 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Scottsdale Community College (Scottsdale, AZ), 9 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Carrington College-Phoenix North (Phoenix, AZ), 16 mi, 2 of 4 services reported
  • Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ), 19 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.