Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Missoula, MT

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Key takeaway: 4 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Missoula 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 Maneuver Training Area Fort William Henry Harrison, about 90 miles away, and 2 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Other). 1 of the 4 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is The University of Montana in Missoula, MT, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Montana Technological University. Missoula has a population of about 75,600 and a median household income of $65,329; 51.7 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Missoula

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

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT 1.4 miles from Missoula
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
43.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,511
Avg net price $16,784/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,552
Out‑of‑state$33,671
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege 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
Montana Technological University Butte, MT Yes Yes Yes Yes 60.0 91 mi
Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell, MT Yes Yes No Yes 54.5 95 mi
Helena College University of Montana Helena, MT Yes Yes Yes Yes 50.2 96 mi
The University of Montana Missoula, MT Yes Yes Yes Yes 43.8 1 mi

Montana has 12 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Montana page lists them all.

Military installations near Missoula

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Missoula
Maneuver Training Area Fort William Henry Harrison Other 90 mi
Helena Aviation Other 98 mi

Common post-service careers near Missoula

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $76,360 Missoula, MT metro $79,212
Logisticians $81,270 MT statewide $84,305
Emergency Management Directors $62,770 MT statewide $65,114
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $77,610 Missoula, MT metro $80,508
Medical and Health Services Managers $121,040 Missoula, MT metro $125,560
Project Management Specialists $84,250 Missoula, MT metro $87,396
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $77,650 Missoula, MT metro $80,550
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $108,180 MT statewide $112,220

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 Missoula

  • The University of Montana (Missoula, MT), 1 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.