Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Hattiesburg, MS

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Mississippi > Hattiesburg

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Hattiesburg 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 Maneuver Training Area Camp Shelby, about 24 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 1 Navy, 2 Air Force, 1 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard, 2 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Southwest Mississippi Community College. Hattiesburg has a population of about 48,507 and a median household income of $44,140; 35.0 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Hattiesburg

Schools based in Mississippi that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

William Carey University

Hattiesburg, MS 1.5 miles from Hattiesburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
49.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,087
Avg net price $14,258/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,480
Out‑of‑state$15,480
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, MS 1.6 miles from Hattiesburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
39.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,140
Avg net price $21,708/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 103

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
Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit, MS Yes Yes Yes No 64.8 67 mi
Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.6 69 mi
Hinds Community College Raymond, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 53.6 92 mi
Pearl River Community College Poplarville, MS Yes Yes Yes No 52.2 35 mi
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 51.3 38 mi
Meridian Community College Meridian, MS Yes Yes Yes No 50.6 81 mi
William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS Yes Yes Yes No 49.6 1 mi
University of South Alabama Mobile, AL Yes Yes Yes Yes 48.3 80 mi
Spring Hill College Mobile, AL Yes Yes Yes No 46.3 82 mi
Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA Yes Yes Yes Yes 45.8 88 mi

Mississippi has 25 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Mississippi page lists them all.

Military installations near Hattiesburg

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Hattiesburg
Maneuver Training Area Camp Shelby Other 24 mi
Woolmarket (de Soto) Other 57 mi
Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Air National Guard Air Force 63 mi
National Guard Gulfport Avcrad National Guard 63 mi
Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport Navy 65 mi
Keesler AFB Air Force 66 mi
Camp Villere Army 74 mi
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Coast Guard 76 mi

Common post-service careers near Hattiesburg

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $87,690 MS statewide $100,103
Logisticians $69,430 Hattiesburg, MS metro $79,258
Emergency Management Directors $48,650 MS statewide $55,537
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $44,080 Hattiesburg, MS metro $50,320
Medical and Health Services Managers $94,050 Hattiesburg, MS metro $107,363
Project Management Specialists $81,710 Hattiesburg, MS metro $93,276
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $79,110 Hattiesburg, MS metro $90,308
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $79,990 Hattiesburg, MS metro $91,313

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 Hattiesburg

  • William Carey University (Hattiesburg, MS), 1 mi, 3 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.