Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Abilene, TX

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Key takeaway: 8 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Abilene 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); 2 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Dyess AFB, about 6 miles away, and 2 installations sit within 100 miles (2 Air Force). 2 of the 8 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is McMurry University in Abilene, TX, about 2 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Western Texas College. Abilene has a population of about 127,130 and a median household income of $62,720; 27.1 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Abilene

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

McMurry University

Abilene, TX 1.8 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
36.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,779
Avg net price $19,581/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Abilene Christian University

Abilene, TX 2.0 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,736
Avg net price $26,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 72

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
Western Texas College Snyder, TX Yes Yes No No 57.0 70 mi
Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX Yes Yes No No 54.4 2 mi
Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX Yes Yes Yes Yes 51.9 90 mi
Cisco College Cisco, TX Yes Yes Yes No 49.3 44 mi
Angelo State University San Angelo, TX Yes Yes Yes Yes 47.7 82 mi
Ranger College Ranger, TX Yes Yes Yes No 40.4 61 mi
McMurry University Abilene, TX Yes Yes Yes No 36.4 2 mi
Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX Yes Yes No No 30.7 67 mi

Texas has 124 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the Texas page lists them all.

Military installations near Abilene

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Abilene
Dyess AFB Air Force 6 mi
Goodfellow AFB Air Force 81 mi

Common post-service careers near Abilene

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

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $129,890 TX statewide $143,684
Logisticians $64,490 Abilene, TX metro $71,338
Emergency Management Directors $93,570 TX statewide $103,507
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $76,070 Abilene, TX metro $84,148
Medical and Health Services Managers $102,210 Abilene, TX metro $113,064
Project Management Specialists $82,230 Abilene, TX metro $90,962
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $79,260 Abilene, TX metro $87,677
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $82,200 Abilene, TX metro $90,929

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 Abilene

  • McMurry University (Abilene, TX), 2 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
  • Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX), 2 mi, 2 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.