Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Michigan > Portage
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Portage 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 Fort Custer Training Center, about 15 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 6 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Portage has a population of about 49,015 and a median household income of $79,529; 48.4 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Portage
Schools based in Michigan that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Portage 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 Portage.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,562
Avg net price
$15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 188
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,907
Avg net price
$21,393/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
82%
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,187
Avg net price
$12,547/yr
TuitionIn‑state$35,056
Out‑of‑state$35,056
Key stats
- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 83
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
Graduation rate
33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,663
Avg net price
$12,404/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 14
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
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,732
Avg net price
$19,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 60
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
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,118
Avg net price
$16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 137
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,898
Avg net price
$7,761/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source: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 |
| 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 |
90 mi |
| Calvin University |
Grand Rapids, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
71.1 |
50 mi |
| Andrews University |
Berrien Springs, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
70.4 |
42 mi |
| Siena Heights University |
Adrian, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
66.0 |
83 mi |
| Grand Valley State University |
Allendale, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
65.8 |
55 mi |
| Western Michigan University |
Kalamazoo, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
63.3 |
6 mi |
| Huntington University |
Huntington, IN |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
58.6 |
90 mi |
| Cornerstone University |
Grand Rapids, MI |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
56.4 |
54 mi |
| Grace College and Theological Seminary |
Winona Lake, IN |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
56.3 |
68 mi |
Michigan has 53 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Michigan page lists them all.
Military installations near Portage
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) |
Branch (from the name) |
Distance from Portage |
| Fort Custer Training Center |
Army |
15 mi |
| Coast Guard Station Holland |
Coast Guard |
50 mi |
| National Guard Lansing Headquarters Complx |
National Guard |
65 mi |
| Coast Guard Station Grand Haven |
Coast Guard |
68 mi |
Common post-service careers near Portage
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 Portage
- Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI), 6 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.
