Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Colorado > Boulder
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Boulder 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 Buckley AFB, about 34 miles away, and 7 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Navy, 5 Air Force, 1 Other). 7 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO, about 2 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Colorado School of Mines. Boulder has a population of about 106,274 and a median household income of $85,364; 76.8 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Boulder
Schools based in Colorado that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Boulder 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 Boulder.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$28,720
Avg net price
$29,179/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 56%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
78%
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$69,738
Avg net price
$25,346/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,666
Out‑of‑state$44,918
Key stats
- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 108
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning 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 |
| Colorado School of Mines |
Golden, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
79.3 |
19 mi |
| University of Colorado Boulder |
Boulder, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
73.6 |
2 mi |
| University of Denver |
Denver, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
70.4 |
29 mi |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins |
Fort Collins, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
69.6 |
39 mi |
| Laramie County Community College |
Cheyenne, WY |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
67.1 |
78 mi |
| University of Wyoming |
Laramie, WY |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
67.0 |
90 mi |
| Red Rocks Community College |
Lakewood, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
64.2 |
22 mi |
| Regis University |
Denver, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
62.1 |
20 mi |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus |
Denver, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
61.7 |
29 mi |
| Front Range Community College |
Westminster, CO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
61.3 |
14 mi |
Colorado has 28 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Colorado page lists them all.
Military installations near Boulder
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) |
Branch (from the name) |
Distance from Boulder |
| Buckley AFB |
Air Force |
34 mi |
| Naval Operational Support Center Denver |
Navy |
34 mi |
| F E Warren AFB |
Air Force |
81 mi |
| Cheyenne Regional Airport |
Other |
82 mi |
| Peterson AFB |
Air Force |
88 mi |
| Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station |
Air Force |
92 mi |
| Schriever AFB |
Air Force |
93 mi |
Common post-service careers near Boulder
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Boulder, CO metro area where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation |
Median annual wage |
Scope |
Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100) |
| Information Security Analysts |
$154,990 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$147,329 |
| Logisticians |
$100,680 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$95,703 |
| Emergency Management Directors |
$129,660 |
CO statewide |
$123,251 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers |
$100,060 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$95,114 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers |
$138,150 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$131,321 |
| Project Management Specialists |
$122,040 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$116,008 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
$109,790 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$104,363 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers |
$142,270 |
Boulder, CO metro |
$135,238 |
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 Boulder
- University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO), 2 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- Front Range Community College (Westminster, CO), 14 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO), 19 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- Regis University (Denver, CO), 20 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- Red Rocks Community College (Lakewood, CO), 22 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- University of Denver (Denver, CO), 29 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus (Denver, CO), 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.
