Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > California > Santa Cruz
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Santa Cruz 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 Coast Guard Station Monterey, about 27 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Navy, 1 Air Force, 3 Coast Guard, 2 Other). 4 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is De Anza College in Cupertino, CA, about 24 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of California-Berkeley. Santa Cruz has a population of about 60,953 and a median household income of $111,427; 57.7 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Santa Cruz
Schools based in California that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Santa Cruz 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Santa Cruz.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,247
Avg net price
$13,663/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,988
Avg net price
$13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 118
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,072
Avg net price
$7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,844
Avg net price
$32,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 10
Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,187
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,017
Avg net price
$27,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$79,550
Avg net price
$25,179/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,576
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,401
Avg net price
$9,320/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 59
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College 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 |
|---|
| University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 93.9 | 63 mi |
| Palo Alto University | Palo Alto, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 92.2 | 29 mi |
| San Jose State University | San Jose, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 86.3 | 26 mi |
| De Anza College | Cupertino, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 80.8 | 24 mi |
| California State University-Stanislaus | Turlock, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 80.6 | 75 mi |
| California State University-East Bay | Hayward, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 79.2 | 47 mi |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 78.9 | 57 mi |
| College of San Mateo | San Mateo, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 75.8 | 42 mi |
| California State University-Monterey Bay | Seaside, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 75.7 | 26 mi |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 75.4 | 80 mi |
California has 146 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the California page lists them all.
Military installations near Santa Cruz
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) | Branch (from the name) | Distance from Santa Cruz |
|---|
| Coast Guard Station Monterey | Coast Guard | 27 mi |
| Presidio of Monterey | Other | 27 mi |
| Naval Post-Graduate School (Monterey) | Navy | 28 mi |
| Naval Support Detachment Monterey Navy School Annex | Navy | 28 mi |
| Navpmossp Mountain View | Other | 30 mi |
| Pillar Point Air Force Station | Air Force | 44 mi |
| Coast Guard Station Oakland | Coast Guard | 57 mi |
| Coast Guard Station San Francisco | Coast Guard | 60 mi |
Common post-service careers near Santa Cruz
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Scope | Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $138,570 | CA statewide | $126,087 |
| Logisticians | $104,320 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro | $94,923 |
| Emergency Management Directors | $129,910 | CA statewide | $118,207 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $122,970 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro | $111,893 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $138,640 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro | $126,151 |
| Project Management Specialists | $106,780 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro | $97,161 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $118,810 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro | $108,107 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $112,570 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro | $102,429 |
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 Santa Cruz
- De Anza College (Cupertino, CA), 24 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- California State University-Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA), 26 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
- San Jose State University (San Jose, CA), 26 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- Palo Alto University (Palo Alto, CA), 29 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.
