Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Joplin, MO

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Joplin 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 Traing Area Camp Crowder Neosho, about 21 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 3 Other). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Crowder College in Neosho, MO, about 20 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. Joplin has a population of about 52,218 and a median household income of $51,154; 26.4 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Joplin

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

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 2.5 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,620
Avg net price $12,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
Spartan College of Aeronautics and TechnologyTulsa, OKYesYesYesYes71.598 mi
University of ArkansasFayetteville, ARYesYesYesYes70.772 mi
John Brown UniversitySiloam Springs, ARYesYesYesNo64.461 mi
Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, KSYesYesYesYes57.424 mi
Missouri State University-SpringfieldSpringfield, MOYesYesYesYes56.368 mi
Neosho County Community CollegeChanute, KSYesYesYesNo55.067 mi
Ozarks Technical Community CollegeSpringfield, MOYesYesYesYes54.768 mi
NorthWest Arkansas Community CollegeBentonville, ARYesYesYesNo52.653 mi
Crowder CollegeNeosho, MOYesYesYesNo52.420 mi
Allen County Community CollegeIola, KSYesYesYesNo51.477 mi

Missouri has 47 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Missouri page lists them all.

Military installations near Joplin

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Joplin
Maneuver Traing Area Camp Crowder NeoshoOther21 mi
Camp ClarkArmy53 mi
Thunderbird Youth AcdmyOther69 mi
Tulsa IapOther97 mi

Common post-service careers near Joplin

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$103,440MO statewide$120,700
Logisticians$73,810Joplin, MO-KS metro$86,126
Emergency Management Directors$75,660MO statewide$88,285
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$45,460Joplin, MO-KS metro$53,046
Medical and Health Services Managers$98,620Joplin, MO-KS metro$115,076
Project Management Specialists$77,760Joplin, MO-KS metro$90,735
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$84,590Joplin, MO-KS metro$98,705
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$102,460Joplin, MO-KS metro$119,557

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 Joplin

  • Crowder College (Neosho, MO), 20 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
  • Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, KS), 24 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.