Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Manhattan, KS

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Manhattan 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 Fort Riley, about 12 miles away, and 6 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Army, 1 Air Force, 1 National Guard, 2 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Salina Area Technical College. Manhattan has a population of about 53,951 and a median household income of $58,441; 52.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Manhattan

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

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 1.3 miles from Manhattan
  • 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

#2

Manhattan Christian College

Manhattan, KS 1.4 miles from Manhattan
  • 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

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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, KSYesYesYesNo78.962 mi
Flint Hills Technical CollegeEmporia, KSYesYesYesNo75.557 mi
University of KansasLawrence, KSYesYesYesYes72.075 mi
Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KSYesYesYesYes67.71 mi
Cloud County Community CollegeConcordia, KSYesYesYesNo59.062 mi
Baker UniversityBaldwin City, KSYesYesYesYes57.981 mi
Washburn UniversityTopeka, KSYesYesYesYes53.850 mi
Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KSYesYesYesYes49.058 mi
Rasmussen University-KansasTopeka, KSYesYesYesNo49.050 mi
University of Saint MaryLeavenworth, KSYesYesYesNo48.091 mi

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

Military installations near Manhattan

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Manhattan
Fort RileyArmy12 mi
Kansas AgOther51 mi
Forbes Field AngOther52 mi
National Guard Salina Ks Training CenterNational Guard62 mi
Fort LeavenworthArmy91 mi
Rosecrans Air National Guard BaseAir Force99 mi

Common post-service careers near Manhattan

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$97,490Manhattan, KS metro$108,082
Logisticians$66,710Manhattan, KS metro$73,958
Emergency Management Directors$68,000KS statewide$75,388
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$52,220Manhattan, KS metro$57,894
Medical and Health Services Managers$106,330Manhattan, KS metro$117,882
Project Management Specialists$95,390Manhattan, KS metro$105,754
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$80,170Manhattan, KS metro$88,880
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$106,130KS statewide$117,661

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 Manhattan

  • Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS), 1 mi, 4 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.