Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Salem, MA (2026)

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Salem 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); 7 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard Mta Camp Curtis Guil, about 9 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Navy, 2 Air Force, 1 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard, 2 Other). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Northeastern University Professional Programs in Boston, MA, about 15 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Northeastern University Professional Programs. Salem has a population of about 44,241 and a median household income of $85,137; 49.6 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Salem

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

Salem State University

Salem, MA 0.9 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,662
Avg net price $15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
Northeastern University Professional ProgramsBoston, MAYesYesYesYes79.915 mi
University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, MAYesYesYesNo79.083 mi
Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MAYesYesYesNo78.955 mi
Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MAYesYesYesYes78.518 mi
University of ConnecticutStorrs, CTYesYesYesYes78.284 mi
Providence CollegeProvidence, RIYesYesYesYes75.354 mi
University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDurham, NHYesYesYesYes74.743 mi
Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RIYesYesNoNo74.352 mi
University of New Hampshire at ManchesterManchester, NHYesYesYesYes74.244 mi
University of Rhode IslandKingston, RIYesYesYesYes74.178 mi

Massachusetts has 45 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Massachusetts page lists them all.

Military installations near Salem

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Salem
National Guard Mta Camp Curtis GuilNational Guard9 mi
Coast Guard Station BostonCoast Guard13 mi
Hanscom AFBAir Force19 mi
Soldier Systems Center NatickOther28 mi
Pease Air National Guard BaseAir Force40 mi
Portsmouth Naval ShipyardNavy40 mi
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Navy Housing)Navy41 mi
New Boston Air StationOther48 mi

Common post-service careers near Salem

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$136,550Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$126,085
Logisticians$101,540Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$93,758
Emergency Management Directors$126,570Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$116,870
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$78,180Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$72,188
Medical and Health Services Managers$136,760Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$126,279
Project Management Specialists$114,990Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$106,177
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$116,770Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$107,821
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$128,760Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro$118,892

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 Salem

  • Northeastern University Professional Programs (Boston, MA), 15 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA), 18 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.