Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Michigan > Grand Rapids
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Grand Rapids 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); 6 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Coast Guard Station Grand Haven, about 30 miles away, and 6 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 4 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard). 3 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI, about 3 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Kettering University. Grand Rapids has a population of about 197,768 and a median household income of $65,526; 40.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Grand Rapids
Schools based in Michigan that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Grand Rapids 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Grand Rapids.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,377
Avg net price
$8,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,314
Avg net price
$20,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,375
Avg net price
$22,992/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,350
Out‑of‑state$39,350
Key stats
- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 89
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
98%
Graduation rate
53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,099
Avg net price
$17,707/yr
TuitionIn‑state$24,466
Out‑of‑state$24,466
Key stats
- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College 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 |
| Kettering University |
Flint, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
73.6 |
98 mi |
| Calvin University |
Grand Rapids, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
71.1 |
4 mi |
| Andrews University |
Berrien Springs, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
70.4 |
78 mi |
| Grand Valley State University |
Allendale, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
65.8 |
12 mi |
| Ferris State University |
Big Rapids, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
64.7 |
51 mi |
| Western Michigan University |
Kalamazoo, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
63.3 |
47 mi |
| Northwood University |
Midland, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
62.7 |
83 mi |
| Central Michigan University |
Mount Pleasant, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
60.7 |
62 mi |
| University of Michigan-Flint |
Flint, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
58.9 |
99 mi |
| Cornerstone University |
Grand Rapids, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
56.4 |
3 mi |
Michigan has 53 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Michigan page lists them all.
Military installations near Grand Rapids
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) |
Branch (from the name) |
Distance from Grand Rapids |
| Coast Guard Station Grand Haven |
Coast Guard |
30 mi |
| Coast Guard Station Holland |
Coast Guard |
31 mi |
| Fort Custer Training Center |
Army |
48 mi |
| National Guard Lansing Headquarters Complx |
National Guard |
57 mi |
| Coast Guard Station Ludington |
Coast Guard |
79 mi |
| Coast Guard Station Manistee |
Coast Guard |
95 mi |
Common post-service careers near Grand Rapids
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation |
Median annual wage |
Scope |
Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100) |
| Information Security Analysts |
$95,660 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$100,168 |
| Logisticians |
$77,050 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$80,681 |
| Emergency Management Directors |
$87,880 |
MI statewide |
$92,021 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers |
$74,920 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$78,450 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers |
$105,900 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$110,890 |
| Project Management Specialists |
$95,020 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$99,497 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
$93,440 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$97,843 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers |
$97,980 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro |
$102,597 |
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 Grand Rapids
- Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, MI), 3 mi, 2 of 4 services reported
- Calvin University (Grand Rapids, MI), 4 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
- Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI), 12 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.
