Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Smithfield, NC

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Smithfield 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); 7 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Seymour Johnson AFB, about 25 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Army, 2 Air Force, 2 Marine Corps, 1 National Guard, 1 Other). 3 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Johnston Community College in Smithfield, NC, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Smithfield has a population of about 11,798 and a median household income of $37,827; 26.0 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Smithfield

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

Johnston Community College

Smithfield, NC 1.3 miles from Smithfield
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,310
Avg net price $1,776/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,756
Out‑of‑state$8,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege 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
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 91.9 48 mi
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 84.6 26 mi
University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 69.8 93 mi
East Carolina University Greenville, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 68.3 56 mi
Johnston Community College Smithfield, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 64.4 1 mi
Central Carolina Community College Sanford, NC Yes Yes Yes No 60.6 45 mi
Meredith College Raleigh, NC Yes Yes No No 59.6 27 mi
University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 59.3 90 mi
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, NC Yes Yes Yes No 58.9 63 mi
Cape Fear Community College Wilmington, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 57.9 91 mi

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

Military installations near Smithfield

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Smithfield
Seymour Johnson AFB Air Force 25 mi
National Guard Raleigh National Guard 29 mi
Pope AFB Air Force 44 mi
Fort Bragg Army 52 mi
Mta Camp Butner Other 53 mi
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (Outlying Field Oak Grove) Marine Corps 70 mi
Camp Mackall Army 72 mi
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine Corps 81 mi

Common post-service careers near Smithfield

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $143,640 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $146,273
Logisticians $78,420 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $79,857
Emergency Management Directors $104,620 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $106,538
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $65,860 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $67,067
Medical and Health Services Managers $113,710 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $115,794
Project Management Specialists $102,280 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $104,155
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $103,380 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $105,275
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $110,780 Raleigh-Cary, NC metro $112,811

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 Smithfield

  • Johnston Community College (Smithfield, NC), 1 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • North Carolina State University at Raleigh (Raleigh, NC), 26 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
  • Meredith College (Raleigh, NC), 27 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.