Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Erie, PA (2026)

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Erie 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); 8 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard Cambridge Springs, about 22 miles away, and 7 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 Air Force, 3 National Guard, 1 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA, about 70 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University at Buffalo. Erie has a population of about 94,156 and a median household income of $43,397; 22.3 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Erie

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

Gannon University

Erie, PA 1.1 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,845
Avg net price $22,553/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Mercyhurst University

Erie, PA 1.3 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
57.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,452
Avg net price $19,444/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 65

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
University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Yes Yes Yes Yes 75.0 89 mi
Trocaire College Buffalo, NY Yes Yes Yes Yes 72.5 82 mi
Niagara University Niagara University, NY Yes Yes Yes Yes 70.6 88 mi
John Carroll University University Heights, OH Yes Yes Yes Yes 68.8 87 mi
Canisius University Buffalo, NY Yes Yes Yes No 68.7 84 mi
D’Youville University Buffalo, NY Yes Yes Yes Yes 67.5 81 mi
Daemen University Amherst, NY Yes Yes Yes Yes 66.2 88 mi
Westminster College New Wilmington, PA Yes Yes Yes No 64.9 70 mi
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Yes Yes Yes Yes 64.3 73 mi
St Bonaventure University Saint Bonaventure, NY Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.9 82 mi

Pennsylvania has 78 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Pennsylvania page lists them all.

Military installations near Erie

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Erie
National Guard Cambridge Springs National Guard 22 mi
Youngstown Joint Air Reserve Station Air Force 66 mi
National Guard New Castle National Guard 80 mi
Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center Army 82 mi
Bratenahl Other 89 mi
Niagara Falls International Airport Air Reserve Station Air Force 89 mi
National Guard Youngstown Training Site National Guard 96 mi

Common post-service careers near Erie

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $92,660 Erie, PA metro $101,824
Logisticians $71,380 Erie, PA metro $78,440
Emergency Management Directors $81,550 PA statewide $89,615
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $80,860 Erie, PA metro $88,857
Medical and Health Services Managers $96,420 Erie, PA metro $105,956
Project Management Specialists $93,590 Erie, PA metro $102,846
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $88,070 Erie, PA metro $96,780
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $98,050 Erie, PA metro $107,747

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 Erie

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Erie; the nearest is Westminster College at 70 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.