Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Ottumwa, IA

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Iowa > Ottumwa

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Ottumwa 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 Iowa Army Ammunition Plnt, about 63 miles away, and 3 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 1 National Guard, 1 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Truman State University in Kirksville, MO, about 58 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Iowa State University. Ottumwa has a population of about 25,352 and a median household income of $56,994; 20.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Ottumwa

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

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA 2.2 miles from Ottumwa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,507
Avg net price $10,693/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege 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
Iowa State University Ames, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 76.9 94 mi
Truman State University Kirksville, MO Yes Yes Yes No 74.7 58 mi
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Yes Yes No Yes 73.5 64 mi
Drake University Des Moines, IA Yes Yes Yes No 72.1 76 mi
John Wood Community College Quincy, IL Yes Yes Yes Yes 61.9 95 mi
North Central Missouri College Trenton, MO Yes Yes Yes No 60.2 91 mi
Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 59.9 72 mi
Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 59.9 79 mi
Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA Yes Yes Yes No 58.6 74 mi
Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 56.3 73 mi

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

Military installations near Ottumwa

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Ottumwa
Iowa Army Ammunition Plnt Army 63 mi
Des Moins Iap Other 74 mi
National Guard Macon Training Site National Guard 91 mi

Common post-service careers near Ottumwa

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 Ottumwa

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Ottumwa; the nearest is Truman State University at 58 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.