Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > California > Shafter
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Shafter 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 Naval Air Station Lemoore, about 71 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 3 Navy, 2 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 10 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. Shafter has a population of about 20,618 and a median household income of $67,989; 10.7 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Shafter
Schools based in California that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Shafter 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 Shafter.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,361
Avg net price
$36,126/yr
TuitionIn‑state$37,667
Out‑of‑state$37,667
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 3
Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,009
Avg net price
$5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,861
Avg net price
$2,823/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,317
Avg net price
$27,854/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Avg net price
$29,453/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 4
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$90,768
Avg net price
$16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 84
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$30,896
Avg net price
$22,733/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,106
Avg net price
$32,647/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,712
Avg net price
$30,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 60
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,152
Avg net price
$9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 29
Source: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 |
|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 89.2 | 83 mi |
| California State University-Fresno | Fresno, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 78.5 | 97 mi |
| California State University-Channel Islands | Camarillo, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 75.7 | 91 mi |
| California State University-Northridge | Northridge, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 75.1 | 94 mi |
| California State University-Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 74.3 | 10 mi |
| Fresno Pacific University | Fresno, CA | Yes | Yes | No | No | 68.6 | 91 mi |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 68.3 | 88 mi |
| The Master’s University and Seminary | Santa Clarita, CA | Yes | Yes | No | No | 57.8 | 85 mi |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara, CA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 56.7 | 79 mi |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria, CA | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 55.3 | 78 mi |
California has 146 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the California page lists them all.
Military installations near Shafter
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) | Branch (from the name) | Distance from Shafter |
|---|
| Naval Air Station Lemoore | Navy | 71 mi |
| Camp San Luis Obispo | Army | 85 mi |
| Edwards AFB | Air Force | 87 mi |
| Naval Base Ventura County (Construction Batallion Center Port Hueneme) | Navy | 91 mi |
| Maneuver Training Center-Heavy Camp Roberts | Other | 91 mi |
| Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake | Navy | 92 mi |
| Channel Islands Angs | Other | 93 mi |
| Vandenberg AFB | Air Force | 93 mi |
Common post-service careers near Shafter
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 Shafter
- California State University-Bakersfield (Bakersfield, CA), 10 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.
