Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Austin, MN

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Minnesota > Austin

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Austin 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 National Guard Rochester Nga & Oms 2, about 35 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 1 Air Force, 2 National Guard). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, MN, about 69 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Allen College. Austin has a population of about 26,167 and a median household income of $66,488; 23.2 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Austin

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

Riverland Community College

Austin, MN 1.1 miles from Austin
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,247
Avg net price $7,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege 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
Allen College Waterloo, IA Yes Yes Yes No 93.0 85 mi
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Yes Yes Yes Yes 83.9 91 mi
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI Yes Yes Yes Yes 75.3 88 mi
University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN Yes Yes Yes Yes 73.5 88 mi
Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN Yes Yes No Yes 73.3 91 mi
Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN Yes Yes Yes Yes 72.2 74 mi
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN Yes Yes Yes No 71.4 69 mi
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Yes Yes Yes Yes 68.9 84 mi
Bethel University Saint Paul, MN Yes Yes Yes No 68.3 96 mi
Winona State University Winona, MN Yes Yes Yes Yes 66.8 71 mi

Minnesota has 50 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Minnesota page lists them all.

Military installations near Austin

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Austin
National Guard Rochester Nga & Oms 2 National Guard 35 mi
National Guard Rosemount Armory National Guard 75 mi
Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport Air Reserve Station Air Force 85 mi
Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plnt Army 99 mi

Common post-service careers near Austin

Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS).

Occupation Median annual wage Scope
Information Security Analysts $130,710 MN statewide
Logisticians $82,320 MN statewide
Emergency Management Directors $106,880 MN statewide
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $83,360 MN statewide
Medical and Health Services Managers $122,700 MN statewide
Project Management Specialists $97,860 MN statewide
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $101,870 MN statewide
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $118,180 MN statewide

BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; these are statewide medians.

Campuses within 30 miles of Austin

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Austin; the nearest is Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota at 69 miles.

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.