Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Illinois > Sterling
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Sterling 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); 3 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Rock Island Arsenal, about 48 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Air Force, 1 National Guard, 2 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences in Rock Island, IL, about 50 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Saint Anthony College of Nursing. Sterling has a population of about 14,670 and a median household income of $52,647; 18.5 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Sterling
Schools based in Illinois that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Sterling 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 Sterling.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,743
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$77,709
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 2
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,709
Avg net price
$18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 97
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,123
Avg net price
$21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,987
Avg net price
$30,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 19
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,446
Avg net price
$22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,099
Avg net price
$17,028/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Key stats
- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,926
Avg net price
$13,006/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,405
Avg net price
$31,837/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 11
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 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing |
Rockford, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
87.3 |
50 mi |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Madison, WI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
86.9 |
89 mi |
| Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences |
Rock Island, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
78.2 |
50 mi |
| National University of Health Sciences |
Lombard, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
76.0 |
87 mi |
| University of St Francis |
Joliet, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
74.9 |
85 mi |
| Emmaus Bible College |
Dubuque, IA |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
74.2 |
71 mi |
| Bradley University |
Peoria, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
74.1 |
76 mi |
| Lewis University |
Romeoville, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
73.8 |
84 mi |
| University of Iowa |
Iowa City, IA |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
73.5 |
95 mi |
| Illinois State University |
Normal, IL |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
71.9 |
96 mi |
Illinois has 71 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Illinois page lists them all.
Military installations near Sterling
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) |
Branch (from the name) |
Distance from Sterling |
| Rock Island Arsenal |
Other |
48 mi |
| Army National Guard Marseilles Training Center |
National Guard |
63 mi |
| Truax Field Air National Guard Base |
Air Force |
94 mi |
| Glenview |
Other |
98 mi |
Common post-service careers near Sterling
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.
Campuses within 30 miles of Sterling
None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Sterling; the nearest is Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences at 50 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.
