Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Ocala, FL (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Florida > Ocala

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Ocala 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 Pinecastle Ew Range, about 27 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (3 Navy, 1 Marine Corps, 1 Coast Guard, 3 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Lake-Sumter State College in Leesburg, FL, about 32 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of Florida. Ocala has a population of about 64,903 and a median household income of $53,520; 28.7 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Ocala

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

Rasmussen University-Florida

Ocala, FL 0.4 miles from Ocala
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
53.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,080
Avg net price $21,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

College of Central Florida

Ocala, FL 1.9 miles from Ocala
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
56.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,203
Avg net price $12,088/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,710
Out‑of‑state$10,517
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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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 Florida Gainesville, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 93.6 34 mi
University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 83.1 34 mi
University of South Florida Tampa, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 81.8 79 mi
University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 80.8 70 mi
University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 72.9 85 mi
Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 72.4 85 mi
Saint Johns River State College Palatka, FL Yes Yes Yes No 67.6 43 mi
Florida Gateway College Lake City, FL Yes Yes Yes No 63.5 73 mi
Santa Fe College Gainesville, FL Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.4 39 mi
Lake-Sumter State College Leesburg, FL Yes Yes Yes No 62.1 32 mi

Florida has 76 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Florida page lists them all.

Military installations near Ocala

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Ocala
Pinecastle Ew Range Other 27 mi
Naval Support Activity Orlando Navy 71 mi
Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Coast Guard 75 mi
Naval Air Station Jacksonville Navy 77 mi
Naval Air Station Jacksonville (Outlying Field Whitehouse) Navy 82 mi
Flc Fuel Depot Heckscher Other 90 mi
4th Mardiv Jacksonville Maint Other 90 mi
Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island Marine Corps 92 mi

Common post-service careers near Ocala

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Logisticians $73,740 Ocala, FL metro $77,458
Emergency Management Directors $99,020 FL statewide $104,013
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $73,570 Ocala, FL metro $77,279
Medical and Health Services Managers $101,020 Ocala, FL metro $106,113
Project Management Specialists $82,580 Ocala, FL metro $86,744
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $78,430 Ocala, FL metro $82,384
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $78,260 Ocala, FL metro $82,206

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 Ocala

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Ocala; the nearest is Lake-Sumter State College at 32 miles.

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.