Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Rochester, NY

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Rochester 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 Coast Guard Station Oswego, about 59 miles away, and 5 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Air Force, 1 Coast Guard, 1 National Guard, 2 Other). 3 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY, about 6 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Upstate Medical University. Rochester has a population of about 209,720 and a median household income of $46,628; 29.9 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Rochester

Schools based in New York that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Rochester 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 Rochester. 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

Monroe Community College

Rochester, NY 4.6 miles from Rochester
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
50.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,174
Avg net price $6,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

St. John Fisher University

Rochester, NY 6.3 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
71.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,944
Avg net price $28,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 6.5 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,571
Avg net price $34,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Nazareth University

Rochester, NY 6.7 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,458
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Roberts Wesleyan University

Rochester, NY 9.6 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,031
Avg net price $23,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
Upstate Medical UniversitySyracuse, NYYesYesYesNo95.675 mi
SUNY College at GeneseoGeneseo, NYYesYesNoNo77.928 mi
University at BuffaloBuffalo, NYYesYesYesYes75.060 mi
Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NYYesYesYesYes74.175 mi
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuse, NYYesYesNoYes72.975 mi
Trocaire CollegeBuffalo, NYYesYesYesYes72.564 mi
Le Moyne CollegeSyracuse, NYYesYesYesYes71.677 mi
St. John Fisher UniversityRochester, NYYesYesYesYes71.26 mi
Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NYYesYesYesYes70.76 mi
SUNY College of Technology at AlfredAlfred, NYYesYesYesNo70.764 mi

New York has 113 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the New York page lists them all.

Military installations near Rochester

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Rochester
Coast Guard Station OswegoCoast Guard59 mi
Niagara Falls International Airport Air Reserve StationAir Force67 mi
National Guard Youngstown Training SiteNational Guard68 mi
McRc SyracuseOther75 mi
Hancock FldOther76 mi

Common post-service careers near Rochester

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$105,860Rochester, NY metro$109,134
Logisticians$80,910Rochester, NY metro$83,412
Emergency Management Directors$85,220Rochester, NY metro$87,856
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$92,920Rochester, NY metro$95,794
Medical and Health Services Managers$124,260Rochester, NY metro$128,103
Project Management Specialists$103,520Rochester, NY metro$106,722
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$94,130Rochester, NY metro$97,041
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$107,190Rochester, NY metro$110,505

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 Rochester

  • St. John Fisher University (Rochester, NY), 6 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY), 6 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • SUNY College at Geneseo (Geneseo, NY), 28 mi, 2 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.