Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Reading, PA

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Reading 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); 9 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard Spring City Readiness Center, about 22 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 National Guard, 5 Other). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Villanova University in Villanova, PA, about 37 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Johns Hopkins University. Reading has a population of about 94,836 and a median household income of $45,599; 11.7 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Reading

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

Reading Area Community College

Reading, PA 0.6 miles from Reading
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,082
Avg net price $9,228/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Alvernia University

Reading, PA 2.1 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,055
Avg net price $28,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 50

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
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Yes Yes Yes Yes 88.8 79 mi
New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ Yes Yes Yes Yes 86.1 96 mi
University of Delaware Newark, DE Yes Yes Yes Yes 83.5 47 mi
Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Yes Yes Yes Yes 79.1 79 mi
Villanova University Villanova, PA Yes Yes Yes Yes 77.6 37 mi
The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ Yes Yes No No 77.3 61 mi
Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ Yes Yes Yes Yes 76.8 50 mi
Towson University Towson, MD Yes Yes Yes Yes 76.6 75 mi
Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ Yes Yes Yes Yes 76.2 96 mi
Saint Joseph’s University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Yes Yes Yes Yes 75.5 43 mi

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

Military installations near Reading

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Reading
National Guard Spring City Readiness Center National Guard 22 mi
Graterford Fms Other 28 mi
Fort Indiantown Gap Training Site Army 38 mi
Defense Supply Center Philadelphia Other 49 mi
New Castle County Airport Other 49 mi
Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna Other 49 mi
Nsa Mechanicsburg Det Philadelphia Annex Pnbc Other 50 mi
National Guard River Road Training Site National Guard 52 mi

Common post-service careers near Reading

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $102,480 Reading, PA metro $105,541
Logisticians $76,810 Reading, PA metro $79,104
Emergency Management Directors $81,550 PA statewide $83,986
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $87,060 Reading, PA metro $89,660
Medical and Health Services Managers $102,620 Reading, PA metro $105,685
Project Management Specialists $98,040 Reading, PA metro $100,968
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $87,540 Reading, PA metro $90,154
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,570 Reading, PA metro $102,544

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 Reading

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Reading; the nearest is Villanova University at 37 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.