Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Derby, KS (2026)

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Derby 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); 1 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is McConnell AFB, about 5 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (3 Air Force, 1 National Guard). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Newman University in Wichita, KS, about 10 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Salina Area Technical College. Derby has a population of about 25,801 and a median household income of $82,089; 36.8 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Derby

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

Newman University

Wichita, KS 10.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,041
Avg net price $19,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 11.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Southwestern College

Winfield, KS 26.3 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,646
Avg net price $29,824/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Central Christian College of Kansas

McPherson, KS 59.8 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
37.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,468
Avg net price $11,404/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Sterling College

Sterling, KS 69.3 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
31.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,846
Avg net price $22,371/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Emporia State University

Emporia, KS 83.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,601
Avg net price $16,261/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Kansas Wesleyan University

Salina, KS 88.9 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
36.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,152
Avg net price $22,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Barclay College

Haviland, KS 101.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
23.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,355
Avg net price $29,290/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#9

Manhattan Christian College

Manhattan, KS 118.3 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
37.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,860
Avg net price $24,213/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#10

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 118.5 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
Salina Area Technical CollegeSalina, KSYesYesYesNo78.988 mi
Flint Hills Technical CollegeEmporia, KSYesYesYesNo75.582 mi
Oklahoma State University-Main CampusStillwater, OKYesYesYesYes68.1100 mi
Northern Oklahoma CollegeTonkawa, OKYesYesYesNo61.861 mi
Newman UniversityWichita, KSYesYesYesNo57.610 mi
Hutchinson Community CollegeHutchinson, KSYesYesYesNo57.351 mi
Pratt Community CollegePratt, KSYesYesYesNo56.980 mi
Neosho County Community CollegeChanute, KSYesYesYesNo55.098 mi
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and TechnologyWichita, KSYesYesYesNo54.714 mi
Cowley County Community CollegeArkansas City, KSYesYesYesNo52.236 mi

Kansas has 42 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Kansas page lists them all.

Military installations near Derby

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Derby
McConnell AFBAir Force5 mi
Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary FldAir Force74 mi
National Guard Salina Ks Training CenterNational Guard87 mi
Vance AFBAir Force91 mi

Common post-service careers near Derby

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$91,670Wichita, KS metro$103,116
Logisticians$69,520Wichita, KS metro$78,200
Emergency Management Directors$68,000KS statewide$76,490
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$60,840Wichita, KS metro$68,436
Medical and Health Services Managers$104,410Wichita, KS metro$117,447
Project Management Specialists$89,170Wichita, KS metro$100,304
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$82,820Wichita, KS metro$93,161
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$97,600Wichita, KS metro$109,786

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 Derby

  • Newman University (Wichita, KS), 10 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
  • Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (Wichita, KS), 14 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.