Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Central, LA

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Louisiana > Central

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Central 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 Armed Forces Reserve Center, about 15 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 Navy, 2 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard, 1 Reserve, 1 Other). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College in Baton Rouge, LA, about 13 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College. Central has a population of about 29,603 and a median household income of $90,091; 32.7 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Central

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

Southern University and A & M College

Baton Rouge, LA 9.4 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
31.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,371
Avg net price $20,077/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

Baton Rouge, LA 13.1 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
71.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,251
Avg net price $19,151/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Southeastern Louisiana University

Hammond, LA 34.0 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
45.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,482
Avg net price $13,154/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Nicholls State University

Thibodaux, LA 54.7 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • Student veteran org
50.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,454
Avg net price $12,947/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA 63.3 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
53.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,089
Avg net price $13,530/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Herzing University-New Orleans

Metairie, LA 64.5 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
37.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $21,269/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,450
Out‑of‑state$13,450
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 46%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of New Orleans

New Orleans, LA 68.5 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
45.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,872
Avg net price $12,384/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Xavier University of Louisiana

New Orleans, LA 69.1 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
48.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,184
Avg net price $17,127/yr
Tuition
In‑state$28,733
Out‑of‑state$28,733
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#9

Loyola University New Orleans

New Orleans, LA 69.6 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,927
Avg net price $23,696/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#10

Southern University at New Orleans

New Orleans, LA 69.7 miles from Central
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
30.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,042
Avg net price $14,810/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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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
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA Yes Yes Yes Yes 71.8 13 mi
Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit, MS Yes Yes Yes No 64.8 62 mi
Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.6 87 mi
Central Louisiana Technical Community College Alexandria, LA Yes Yes No No 57.4 98 mi
Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA Yes Yes Yes No 56.7 70 mi
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA Yes Yes Yes Yes 53.3 63 mi
Pearl River Community College Poplarville, MS Yes Yes Yes No 52.2 91 mi
Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA Yes Yes No Yes 50.6 55 mi
Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA Yes Yes Yes No 48.7 69 mi
River Parishes Community College Gonzales, LA Yes Yes Yes No 46.0 26 mi

Louisiana has 31 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Louisiana page lists them all.

Military installations near Central

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Central
Armed Forces Reserve Center Reserve 15 mi
Coast Guard Station Grangeville Coast Guard 17 mi
Louisiana National Guard Gillis Long Center National Guard 25 mi
Coast Guard Station New Orleans Coast Guard 73 mi
Naval Support Activity New Orleans (West Bank) Navy 73 mi
Jackson Barracks Other 74 mi
Camp Villere Army 75 mi
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans Navy 79 mi

Common post-service careers near Central

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $107,380 Baton Rouge, LA metro $118,260
Logisticians $78,840 Baton Rouge, LA metro $86,828
Emergency Management Directors $106,220 Baton Rouge, LA metro $116,982
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $48,710 Baton Rouge, LA metro $53,645
Medical and Health Services Managers $107,420 Baton Rouge, LA metro $118,304
Project Management Specialists $86,650 Baton Rouge, LA metro $95,430
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $97,770 Baton Rouge, LA metro $107,676
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $97,000 Baton Rouge, LA metro $106,828

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 Central

  • Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (Baton Rouge, LA), 13 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • River Parishes Community College (Gonzales, LA), 26 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.