Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Kalamazoo, MI

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Kalamazoo 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 Custer Training Center, about 13 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Kalamazoo has a population of about 73,132 and a median household income of $48,965; 37.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Kalamazoo

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

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 1.4 miles from Kalamazoo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Kalamazoo, MI 5.9 miles from Kalamazoo
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • Student veteran org
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,618
Avg net price $2,979/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

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
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Yes Yes Yes Yes 93.4 95 mi
Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN Yes Yes Yes No 71.6 93 mi
Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI Yes Yes Yes No 71.1 45 mi
Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI Yes Yes Yes No 70.4 45 mi
Siena Heights University Adrian, MI Yes Yes No No 66.0 84 mi
Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Yes Yes Yes Yes 65.8 50 mi
Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Yes Yes Yes Yes 64.7 98 mi
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.3 1 mi
Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI Yes Yes Yes Yes 60.7 100 mi
Huntington University Huntington, IN Yes Yes Yes No 58.6 95 mi

Michigan has 53 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Michigan page lists them all.

Military installations near Kalamazoo

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Kalamazoo
Fort Custer Training Center Army 13 mi
Coast Guard Station Holland Coast Guard 47 mi
National Guard Lansing Headquarters Complx National Guard 62 mi
Coast Guard Station Grand Haven Coast Guard 64 mi

Common post-service careers near Kalamazoo

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $103,000 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $108,650
Logisticians $79,030 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $83,365
Emergency Management Directors $87,880 MI statewide $92,700
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $74,810 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $78,914
Medical and Health Services Managers $102,260 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $107,869
Project Management Specialists $97,590 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $102,943
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $81,650 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $86,129
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $100,340 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro $105,844

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 Kalamazoo

  • Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI), 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.