Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Aiken, SC (2026)

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Aiken 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 Fort Gordon, about 32 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Army, 1 Navy, 2 Air Force, 1 Marine Corps, 2 National Guard). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Augusta University in Augusta, GA, about 16 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is University of Georgia. Aiken has a population of about 32,334 and a median household income of $69,837; 45.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Aiken

Schools based in South Carolina that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Aiken 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 Aiken. 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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University of South Carolina Aiken

Aiken, SC 3.7 miles from Aiken
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
44.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,603
Avg net price $11,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

SchoolLocationCredit for military trainingDedicated military contactDoD MOU memberStudent veteran orgBOC ScoreDistance
University of GeorgiaAthens, GAYesYesYesYes88.399 mi
University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SCYesYesYesYes74.152 mi
Georgia College & State UniversityMilledgeville, GAYesYesYesYes63.392 mi
Bob Jones UniversityGreenville, SCYesYesYesNo59.3100 mi
Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GAYesYesYesYes56.676 mi
Augusta UniversityAugusta, GAYesYesYesYes54.416 mi
Athens Technical CollegeAthens, GAYesYesYesNo54.398 mi
Greenville Technical CollegeGreenville, SCYesYesYesYes52.597 mi
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeOrangeburg, SCYesYesYesNo51.552 mi
Ogeechee Technical CollegeStatesboro, GAYesYesYesYes50.179 mi

South Carolina has 38 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the South Carolina page lists them all.

Military installations near Aiken

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau)Branch (from the name)Distance from Aiken
Fort GordonArmy32 mi
National Guard Mta Clarks Hill ReservationNational Guard37 mi
North Air Force Auxiliary FldAir Force38 mi
McEntire Joint National Guard BaseNational Guard60 mi
Fort JacksonArmy63 mi
Shaw AFBAir Force79 mi
Marine Corps Air Station BeaufortMarine Corps91 mi
Naval Hospital BeaufortNavy99 mi

Common post-service careers near Aiken

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

OccupationMedian annual wageScopeCost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts$106,110Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$115,462
Logisticians$84,090Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$91,502
Emergency Management Directors$93,680SC statewide$101,937
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$58,390Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$63,536
Medical and Health Services Managers$120,700Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$131,338
Project Management Specialists$101,280Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$110,207
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$90,510Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$98,487
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$124,100Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro$135,038

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 Aiken

  • Augusta University (Augusta, GA), 16 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.