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Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Illinois > Carbondale
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Carbondale 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 National Guard Sparta Armory, about 41 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Air Force, 1 National Guard, 1 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, KY, about 56 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Saint Louis University. Carbondale has a population of about 21,813 and a median household income of $29,670; 46.3 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Schools based in Illinois that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Carbondale 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.
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:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Carbondale. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
| School | Location | Credit for military training | Dedicated military contact | DoD MOU member | Student veteran org | BOC Score | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis University | Saint Louis, MO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 74.6 | 84 mi |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 64.7 | 94 mi |
| University of Evansville | Evansville, IN | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 63.7 | 94 mi |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 60.9 | 85 mi |
| University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, IN | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 60.4 | 86 mi |
| University of Missouri-St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 58.7 | 90 mi |
| Murray State University | Murray, KY | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 58.3 | 91 mi |
| Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | Olney, IL | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 57.4 | 93 mi |
| Jefferson College | Hillsboro, MO | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 57.2 | 82 mi |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical College | Paducah, KY | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 56.9 | 56 mi |
Illinois has 71 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Illinois page lists them all.
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) | Branch (from the name) | Distance from Carbondale |
|---|---|---|
| National Guard Sparta Armory | National Guard | 41 mi |
| Scott AFB | Air Force | 66 mi |
| St Louis Air Force Station | Air Force | 80 mi |
| Wappapello Training Site | Other | 82 mi |
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS).
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $124,180 | IL statewide |
| Logisticians | $80,100 | IL statewide |
| Emergency Management Directors | $83,820 | IL statewide |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $100,520 | IL statewide |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $117,850 | IL statewide |
| Project Management Specialists | $103,470 | IL statewide |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $100,080 | IL statewide |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $120,250 | IL statewide |
BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; these are statewide medians.
None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Carbondale; the nearest is West Kentucky Community and Technical College at 56 miles.
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.
