Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > Tennessee > Oak Ridge
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Oak Ridge 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); 4 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is McGhee Tyson Airport, about 19 miles away, and 2 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Other). 3 of the 10 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, TN, about 7 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Oak Ridge has a population of about 32,088 and a median household income of $71,000; 39.4 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Oak Ridge
Schools based in Tennessee that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Oak Ridge 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Oak Ridge.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,642
Avg net price
$17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 57%
- Programs offered: 68
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,249
Avg net price
$18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 143
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,279
Avg net price
$19,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 50
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,989
Avg net price
$14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
90%
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,382
Avg net price
$20,251/yr
TuitionIn‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Key stats
- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 65
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,956
Avg net price
$20,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,501
Avg net price
$14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 65
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$31,102
Avg net price
$23,958/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 7%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,151
Avg net price
$14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 62
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,367
Avg net price
$21,131/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College 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 |
21 mi |
| Western Carolina University |
Cullowhee, NC |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
63.0 |
77 mi |
| Southwestern Community College |
Sylva, NC |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
62.2 |
74 mi |
| Tennessee Technological University |
Cookeville, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
61.8 |
69 mi |
| Roane State Community College |
Harriman, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
59.9 |
19 mi |
| Academy of Allied Health Careers |
Chattanooga, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
59.7 |
84 mi |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga |
Chattanooga, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
54.4 |
85 mi |
| Pellissippi State Community College |
Knoxville, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
54.3 |
7 mi |
| Walters State Community College |
Morristown, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
52.5 |
60 mi |
| Lincoln Memorial University |
Harrogate, TN |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
51.6 |
55 mi |
Tennessee has 42 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Tennessee page lists them all.
Military installations near Oak Ridge
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) |
Branch (from the name) |
Distance from Oak Ridge |
| McGhee Tyson Airport |
Other |
19 mi |
| Volunteer Training Site Catoosa |
Other |
83 mi |
Common post-service careers near Oak Ridge
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Knoxville, TN metro area where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation |
Median annual wage |
Scope |
Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100) |
| Information Security Analysts |
$102,210 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$110,378 |
| Logisticians |
$65,030 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$70,227 |
| Emergency Management Directors |
$85,480 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$92,311 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers |
$56,380 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$60,886 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers |
$104,250 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$112,581 |
| Project Management Specialists |
$91,690 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$99,017 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
$87,400 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$94,384 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers |
$98,240 |
Knoxville, TN metro |
$106,091 |
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 Oak Ridge
- Pellissippi State Community College (Knoxville, TN), 7 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
- Roane State Community College (Harriman, TN), 19 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN), 21 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.
