Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Laurel, MS

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

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

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Laurel 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); 4 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Maneuver Training Area Camp Shelby, about 43 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Navy, 1 Air Force, 1 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard, 3 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS, about 28 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Southwest Mississippi Community College. Laurel has a population of about 17,129 and a median household income of $37,781; 20.4 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Laurel

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

Southeastern Baptist College

Laurel, MS 3.7 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
28.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $26,946
Avg net price $8,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 3

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
Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit, MS Yes Yes Yes No 64.8 81 mi
Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.6 74 mi
East Mississippi Community College Scooba, MS Yes Yes Yes No 57.7 87 mi
Hinds Community College Raymond, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 53.6 84 mi
Holmes Community College Goodman, MS Yes Yes No No 53.5 99 mi
Pearl River Community College Poplarville, MS Yes Yes Yes No 52.2 63 mi
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 51.3 63 mi
Meridian Community College Meridian, MS Yes Yes Yes No 50.6 52 mi
William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS Yes Yes Yes No 49.6 28 mi
University of South Alabama Mobile, AL Yes Yes Yes Yes 48.3 90 mi

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

Military installations near Laurel

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Laurel
Maneuver Training Area Camp Shelby Other 43 mi
Naval Air Station Meridian Navy 68 mi
Jackson Iap Thompson Fld Other 70 mi
Naval Outlying Field Bravo Navy 78 mi
Woolmarket (de Soto) Other 80 mi
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Coast Guard 87 mi
Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Air National Guard Air Force 88 mi
National Guard Gulfport Avcrad National Guard 89 mi

Common post-service careers near Laurel

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 $87,690 MS statewide
Logisticians $75,160 MS statewide
Emergency Management Directors $48,650 MS statewide
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $46,140 MS statewide
Medical and Health Services Managers $98,160 MS statewide
Project Management Specialists $78,870 MS statewide
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $79,990 MS statewide
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $85,770 MS statewide

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

Campuses within 30 miles of Laurel

  • William Carey University (Hattiesburg, MS), 28 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.