Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Cleveland, TN

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Tennessee > Cleveland

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Cleveland 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 Volunteer Training Site Catoosa, about 20 miles away, and 6 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Army, 2 Air Force, 1 National Guard, 2 Other). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Academy of Allied Health Careers in Chattanooga, TN, about 23 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Cleveland has a population of about 48,185 and a median household income of $55,904; 31.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Cleveland

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

Cleveland State Community College

Cleveland, TN 1.4 miles from Cleveland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
  • Student veteran org
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,671
Avg net price $6,384/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,762
Out‑of‑state$17,746
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege 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
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN Yes Yes Yes Yes 74.5 75 mi
Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 63.0 95 mi
Southwestern Community College Sylva, NC Yes Yes Yes No 62.2 95 mi
Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Yes Yes Yes Yes 61.8 77 mi
Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Yes Yes Yes No 59.9 50 mi
Academy of Allied Health Careers Chattanooga, TN Yes Yes No No 59.7 23 mi
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA Yes Yes Yes Yes 58.5 81 mi
Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Yes Yes Yes Yes 56.4 96 mi
Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA Yes Yes Yes Yes 55.0 96 mi
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Yes Yes Yes Yes 54.4 26 mi

Tennessee has 42 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Tennessee page lists them all.

Military installations near Cleveland

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Cleveland
Volunteer Training Site Catoosa Other 20 mi
McGhee Tyson Airport Other 65 mi
Arnold AFB Air Force 71 mi
Cumming Army Guard Army 79 mi
General Lucius D Clay National Guard Center National Guard 90 mi
Dobbins Air Reserve Base Air Force 90 mi

Common post-service careers near Cleveland

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $115,430 TN statewide $131,022
Logisticians $63,600 Cleveland, TN metro $72,191
Emergency Management Directors $81,800 TN statewide $92,849
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $58,800 Cleveland, TN metro $66,742
Medical and Health Services Managers $94,780 Cleveland, TN metro $107,582
Project Management Specialists $80,720 Cleveland, TN metro $91,623
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $88,100 TN statewide $100,000
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,130 Cleveland, TN metro $112,520

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 Cleveland

  • Academy of Allied Health Careers (Chattanooga, TN), 23 mi, 2 of 4 services reported
  • The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (Chattanooga, TN), 26 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.