Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Lima, OH (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

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

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Lima 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 United States Army Joint Systems Manufacturing Center Lima, about 3 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Army, 2 Air Force, 1 National Guard, 3 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is University of Dayton in Dayton, OH, about 69 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Lima has a population of about 35,304 and a median household income of $43,370; 11.8 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Lima

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

University of Northwestern Ohio

Lima, OH 2.8 miles from Lima
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,968
Avg net price $21,807/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,875
Out‑of‑state$13,875
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

James A. Rhodes State College

Lima, OH 4.5 miles from Lima
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,855
Avg net price $8,757/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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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 79 mi
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH Yes Yes Yes Yes 80.7 77 mi
Mercy College of Ohio Toledo, OH Yes Yes Yes No 75.1 70 mi
University of Dayton Dayton, OH Yes Yes Yes Yes 74.7 69 mi
Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH Yes Yes Yes Yes 67.4 91 mi
Siena Heights University Adrian, MI Yes Yes No No 66.0 81 mi
MyComputerCareer at Columbus Columbus, OH Yes Yes Yes No 65.8 79 mi
Taylor University Upland, IN Yes Yes No No 65.6 75 mi
Kettering College Kettering, OH Yes Yes No No 64.5 72 mi
Otterbein University Westerville, OH Yes Yes Yes No 64.0 75 mi

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

Military installations near Lima

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Lima
United States Army Joint Systems Manufacturing Center Lima Army 3 mi
Toledo Express Airport Other 61 mi
Springfield Beckley Municipal Airport Other 63 mi
Wright-Patterson AFB Air Force 64 mi
National Guard Beightler Armory National Guard 71 mi
Camp Perry Training Site Army 79 mi
Defense Supply Center Columbus Other 83 mi
Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base Air Force 84 mi

Common post-service careers near Lima

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $110,480 OH statewide $123,166
Logisticians $77,000 Lima, OH metro $85,842
Emergency Management Directors $94,690 OH statewide $105,563
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $62,170 Lima, OH metro $69,309
Medical and Health Services Managers $105,690 Lima, OH metro $117,826
Project Management Specialists $81,670 Lima, OH metro $91,048
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $80,510 Lima, OH metro $89,755
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $94,960 Lima, OH metro $105,864

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 Lima

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Lima; the nearest is University of Dayton at 69 miles.

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.