Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Arcadia, CA

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Arcadia 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); 9 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Los Alamitos Reserve Center and Air Station, about 24 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 Navy, 1 Air Force, 1 Coast Guard, 1 Reserve, 2 Other). 5 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is California State Polytechnic University-Pomona in Pomona, CA, about 13 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. Arcadia has a population of about 55,550 and a median household income of $116,142; 57.8 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Arcadia

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

Pacific Oaks College

Pasadena, CA 6.7 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,485
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 7.9 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 8.5 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 8.9 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
73.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,211
Avg net price $3,967/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

InterCoast Colleges-West Covina

West Covina, CA 9.1 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
54.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,089
Avg net price $27,536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Los Angeles Pacific University

San Dimas, CA 12.1 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
35.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Avg net price $22,677/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Abraham Lincoln University

Glendale, CA 12.6 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
23.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Avg net price $28,584/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA 13.4 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
86.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#9

The Chicago School at Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 13.9 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,899
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#10

California College of ASU

Los Angeles, CA 14.3 miles from Arcadia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • Student veteran org
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,014
Avg net price $17,683/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 3

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
California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, CAYesYesYesYes86.713 mi
California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, CAYesYesYesYes86.225 mi
California State University-FullertonFullerton, CAYesYesYesYes85.320 mi
University of California-RiversideRiverside, CAYesYesYesYes84.142 mi
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CAYesYesYesYes80.216 mi
California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CAYesYesYesYes78.441 mi
West Coast University-Orange CountyAnaheim, CAYesYesYesYes76.023 mi
California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, CAYesYesYesYes75.758 mi
Pacific CollegeCosta Mesa, CAYesYesYesNo75.633 mi
California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, CAYesYesYesYes75.586 mi

California has 146 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the California page lists them all.

Military installations near Arcadia

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Arcadia
Los Alamitos Reserve Center and Air StationReserve24 mi
Los Angeles Air Force Base (Area B)Air Force25 mi
Seal Beach Naval Weapons StationNavy27 mi
Defense Fuel Support Point San PedroOther29 mi
Long Beach Fuel ComplxOther29 mi
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach CoronaNavy31 mi
Coast Guard Station Los Angeles-Long BchCoast Guard31 mi
Fort McArthur Family Housing AnnexArmy32 mi

Common post-service careers near Arcadia

Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area where BLS publishes it.

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$129,630Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$114,111
Logisticians$81,730Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$71,945
Emergency Management Directors$130,020Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$114,454
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$121,980Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$107,377
Medical and Health Services Managers$134,230Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$118,160
Project Management Specialists$108,310Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$95,343
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$106,290Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$93,565
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$127,500Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro$112,236

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 Arcadia

  • California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (Pomona, CA), 13 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA), 16 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • California State University-Fullerton (Fullerton, CA), 20 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • West Coast University-Orange County (Anaheim, CA), 23 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • California State University-Long Beach (Long Beach, CA), 25 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.