Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Bakersfield, CA

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > California > Bakersfield

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Bakersfield 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 Edwards AFB, about 75 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 4 Navy, 1 Air Force, 2 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is California State University-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA, about 4 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. Bakersfield has a population of about 408,366 and a median household income of $77,397; 23.3 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Bakersfield

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

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

Sort:
#1

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 3.9 miles from Bakersfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California Aeronautical University

Bakersfield, CA 5.7 miles from Bakersfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
23.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,361
Avg net price $36,126/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,667
Out‑of‑state$37,667
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 89.2 92 mi
California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 75.7 82 mi
California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 75.1 82 mi
California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 74.3 4 mi
California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 68.3 78 mi
Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles, CA Yes Yes Yes No 63.1 93 mi
Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.0 98 mi
Pacific Oaks College Pasadena, CA Yes Yes Yes No 58.9 97 mi
The Master’s University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA Yes Yes No No 57.8 73 mi
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA Yes Yes Yes Yes 56.7 75 mi

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

Military installations near Bakersfield

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Bakersfield
Edwards AFB Air Force 75 mi
Naval Base Ventura County (Construction Batallion Center Port Hueneme) Navy 83 mi
Naval Air Station Lemoore Navy 83 mi
Channel Islands Angs Other 84 mi
Naval Base Ventura County (Naval Air Station Point Mugu) Navy 86 mi
Laguna Peak Other 86 mi
Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake Navy 88 mi
Camp San Luis Obispo Army 94 mi

Common post-service careers near Bakersfield

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $108,020 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $107,056
Logisticians $95,470 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $94,618
Emergency Management Directors $129,910 CA statewide $128,751
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $78,130 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $77,433
Medical and Health Services Managers $132,670 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $131,487
Project Management Specialists $104,580 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $103,647
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $100,730 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $99,832
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $95,510 Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro $94,658

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 Bakersfield

  • California State University-Bakersfield (Bakersfield, CA), 4 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.