Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Jackson, TN

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Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Jackson 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); 5 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard Jackson Airport Armory, about 6 miles away, and 6 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Army, 1 Navy, 2 National Guard, 1 Other). 2 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Union University in Jackson, TN, about 2 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Jackson has a population of about 68,098 and a median household income of $51,552; 26.6 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Jackson

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

Union University

Jackson, TN 2.1 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,990
Avg net price $27,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lane College

Jackson, TN 2.4 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
31.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,670
Avg net price $10,904/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 12

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
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN Yes Yes No No 89.5 76 mi
University of Mississippi University, MS Yes Yes Yes Yes 70.1 97 mi
Itawamba Community College Fulton, MS Yes Yes Yes No 63.0 98 mi
Baptist Health Sciences University Memphis, TN Yes Yes No Yes 62.6 76 mi
Union University Jackson, TN Yes Yes No No 58.6 2 mi
Murray State University Murray, KY Yes Yes Yes Yes 58.3 72 mi
West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY Yes Yes Yes Yes 56.9 97 mi
Northeast Mississippi Community College Booneville, MS Yes Yes Yes No 56.6 70 mi
Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN Yes Yes Yes Yes 55.9 18 mi
University of North Alabama Florence, AL Yes Yes Yes Yes 53.6 88 mi

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

Military installations near Jackson

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Jackson
National Guard Jackson Airport Armory National Guard 6 mi
National Guard Vts Milan National Guard 12 mi
Milan Army Ammunition Plnt Army 17 mi
Naval Support Activity Mid-South Navy 62 mi
Nswc Carderock Div Other 83 mi
Fort Campbell Army 95 mi

Common post-service careers near Jackson

Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Jackson, 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 $135,006
Logisticians $50,220 Jackson, TN metro $58,737
Emergency Management Directors $81,800 TN statewide $95,673
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $53,320 Jackson, TN metro $62,363
Medical and Health Services Managers $100,770 Jackson, TN metro $117,860
Project Management Specialists $81,450 Jackson, TN metro $95,263
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $77,900 Jackson, TN metro $91,111
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $83,130 Jackson, TN metro $97,228

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 Jackson

  • Union University (Jackson, TN), 2 mi, 2 of 4 services reported
  • Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN), 18 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.