Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Boone, NC (2026)

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Boone 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 National Guard Johnson City Gray, about 48 miles away, and 4 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Army, 1 National Guard, 1 Other). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Carolinas College of Health Sciences. Boone has a population of about 19,534 and a median household income of $28,633; 53.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Boone

Schools based in North Carolina that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Boone 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 Boone. 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

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 0.8 miles from Boone
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

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
Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte, NC Yes Yes Yes No 83.9 82 mi
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC Yes Yes No No 79.6 80 mi
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton Elizabethton, TN Yes Yes No No 73.8 30 mi
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 72.0 82 mi
Appalachian State University Boone, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 69.9 1 mi
Radford University Radford, VA Yes Yes Yes Yes 60.0 89 mi
Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, NC Yes Yes No No 58.4 34 mi
Surry Community College Dobson, NC Yes Yes Yes No 57.7 54 mi
Blue Ridge Community College Flat Rock, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 57.3 75 mi
Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 56.9 27 mi

North Carolina has 92 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the North Carolina page lists them all.

Military installations near Boone

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Boone
National Guard Johnson City Gray National Guard 48 mi
Holston Army Ammunition Plnt Army 58 mi
Charlotte Douglas International Airport Other 80 mi
Radford Army Ammunition Plnt Army 92 mi

Common post-service careers near Boone

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 $131,540 NC statewide
Logisticians $80,780 NC statewide
Emergency Management Directors $93,840 NC statewide
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $59,300 NC statewide
Medical and Health Services Managers $114,410 NC statewide
Project Management Specialists $100,820 NC statewide
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $95,230 NC statewide
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $106,100 NC statewide

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

Campuses within 30 miles of Boone

  • Appalachian State University (Boone, NC), 1 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Wilkes Community College (Wilkesboro, NC), 27 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.