Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Peoria, IL

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Peoria 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); 5 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Army National Guard Marseilles Training Center, about 61 miles away, and 5 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 National Guard, 2 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL, about 4 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Peoria has a population of about 112,126 and a median household income of $58,716; 38.0 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Peoria

Schools based in Illinois that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Peoria 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 Peoria. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 3.8 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, ILYesYesYesYes90.086 mi
Trinity College of Nursing & Health SciencesRock Island, ILYesYesNoNo78.271 mi
University of St FrancisJoliet, ILYesYesYesNo74.996 mi
Bradley UniversityPeoria, ILYesYesYesNo74.14 mi
Lewis UniversityRomeoville, ILYesYesYesYes73.899 mi
Illinois State UniversityNormal, ILYesYesYesYes71.937 mi
Aurora UniversityAurora, ILYesYesYesYes66.495 mi
Kishwaukee CollegeMalta, ILYesYesYesNo66.290 mi
University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, ILYesYesYesYes65.071 mi
Carl Sandburg CollegeGalesburg, ILYesYesNoYes64.844 mi

Illinois has 71 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Illinois page lists them all.

Military installations near Peoria

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Peoria
Army National Guard Marseilles Training CenterNational Guard61 mi
Capital AirportOther63 mi
National Guard Springfield Training Site Camp LincolnNational Guard64 mi
Rock Island ArsenalOther71 mi
Iowa Army Ammunition PlntArmy85 mi

Common post-service careers near Peoria

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$132,090Peoria, IL metro$144,836
Logisticians$85,930Peoria, IL metro$94,221
Emergency Management Directors$83,820IL statewide$91,908
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$76,670Peoria, IL metro$84,068
Medical and Health Services Managers$110,510Peoria, IL metro$121,173
Project Management Specialists$123,730Peoria, IL metro$135,669
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$102,630Peoria, IL metro$112,533
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$120,250Peoria, IL metro$131,853

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 Peoria

  • Bradley University (Peoria, IL), 4 mi, 3 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.