Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Lancaster, OH

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Ohio > Lancaster

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Lancaster 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); 2 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Ohio Air National Guard 121st Air Refueling Wing-Rickenbacker, about 19 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Navy, 1 Air Force, 3 National Guard, 3 Other). 3 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, OH, about 27 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Lancaster has a population of about 40,902 and a median household income of $54,901; 21.3 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Lancaster

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

Ohio University-Lancaster Campus

Lancaster, OH 1.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $5,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 23

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
Mount Carmel College of Nursing Columbus, OH Yes Yes No No 87.9 27 mi
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH Yes Yes Yes Yes 80.7 29 mi
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH Yes Yes Yes No 75.0 35 mi
University of Dayton Dayton, OH Yes Yes Yes Yes 74.7 83 mi
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH Yes Yes Yes No 71.4 35 mi
Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH Yes Yes Yes No 69.9 83 mi
Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Canton, OH Yes Yes No No 68.7 97 mi
MyComputerCareer at Columbus Columbus, OH Yes Yes Yes No 65.8 28 mi
Kettering College Kettering, OH Yes Yes No No 64.5 84 mi
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV Yes Yes No Yes 64.5 68 mi

Ohio has 91 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Ohio page lists them all.

Military installations near Lancaster

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Lancaster
Ohio Air National Guard 121st Air Refueling Wing-Rickenbacker Air Force 19 mi
National Guard Rickenbacker (Maneuver Training Area) National Guard 19 mi
Naval Operational Support Center Columbus Navy 19 mi
Defense Supply Center Columbus Other 24 mi
National Guard Camp Sherman Training Site National Guard 32 mi
National Guard Beightler Armory National Guard 35 mi
Springfield Beckley Municipal Airport Other 66 mi
Williamstown Other 67 mi

Common post-service careers near Lancaster

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $122,600 Columbus, OH metro $128,377
Logisticians $80,710 Columbus, OH metro $84,513
Emergency Management Directors $94,690 OH statewide $99,152
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $100,890 Columbus, OH metro $105,644
Medical and Health Services Managers $107,520 Columbus, OH metro $112,586
Project Management Specialists $98,660 Columbus, OH metro $103,309
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $105,750 Columbus, OH metro $110,733
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $105,360 Columbus, OH metro $110,325

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 Lancaster

  • Mount Carmel College of Nursing (Columbus, OH), 27 mi, 2 of 4 services reported
  • MyComputerCareer at Columbus (Columbus, OH), 28 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
  • Ohio State University-Main Campus (Columbus, OH), 29 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.