Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Mason City, IA

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Iowa > Mason City

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Mason City 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 National Guard Rochester Nga & Oms 2, about 70 miles away (National Guard). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Riverland Community College in Austin, MN, about 38 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Allen College. Mason City has a population of about 27,135 and a median household income of $62,369; 21.3 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Mason City

Schools based in Iowa that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Mason City 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 Mason City. 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

North Iowa Area Community College

Mason City, IA 3.5 miles from Mason City
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,462
Avg net price $10,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,653
Out‑of‑state$9,551
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege 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
Allen College Waterloo, IA Yes Yes Yes No 93.0 61 mi
Iowa State University Ames, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 76.9 81 mi
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN Yes Yes Yes No 71.4 97 mi
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 68.9 58 mi
Winona State University Winona, MN Yes Yes Yes Yes 66.8 100 mi
South Central College North Mankato, MN Yes Yes Yes No 60.0 83 mi
Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 59.9 81 mi
Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville, IA Yes Yes Yes No 59.8 84 mi
Riverland Community College Austin, MN Yes Yes Yes No 59.3 38 mi
Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN Yes Yes Yes Yes 58.9 80 mi

Iowa has 35 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Iowa page lists them all.

Military installations near Mason City

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Mason City
National Guard Rochester Nga & Oms 2 National Guard 70 mi

Common post-service careers near Mason City

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 $119,710 IA statewide
Logisticians $78,740 IA statewide
Emergency Management Directors $73,700 IA statewide
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $74,470 IA statewide
Medical and Health Services Managers $101,940 IA statewide
Project Management Specialists $96,540 IA statewide
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $84,500 IA statewide
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,010 IA statewide

BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; these are statewide medians.

Campuses within 30 miles of Mason City

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Mason City; the nearest is Riverland Community College at 38 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.