We will explore colleges and universities that offer online master's programs while providing special support services catered to military-affiliated students. In addition, we will reveal information about each school which military students will find informative.
School Comparison
| School Name | Institution Type | Location | In-State Tuition (2022-2023)* | Tuition Assistance/Military Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walden University | 4-year, Private | Minneapolis, MN | $9,902 | Military Tuition Assistance, Top-Up, 15% Tuition Reduction |
| Northcentral University | 4-year, Private | San Diego, CA | $16,794 | Preferred Tuition Rate, $450 Learning Management Fee Waiver, Special Military Tuition Discount |
| Regent University | 4-year, Private | Virginia Beach, VA | $16,062 | Discounted Tuition Rate, Spouse and Dependent Discounts, Military Appreciation Package |
| Liberty University | 4-year, Private | Lynchburg, VA | $7,893 | Graduate Military Tuition Discount, Emergency Response Personnel Discount, Military Scholarships |
| The Citadel | 4-year, Public | Charleston, SC | $10,740 | Education Tax Credits, Graduate Assistantships |
Source: *National Center for Education Statistics
School Overview
With a master's degree, military-affiliated students could advance their careers, increase earning potential and start a new civilian or military career path. The military-friendly colleges below offer a variety of majors with multiple scheduling options to cater to students' busy lives. The schools also offer several tuition assistance and career planning services.
Walden University
At Walden University, more than 5,100 military-affiliated students are pursuing their educational goals from their deployment locations. Walden University offers 10 online master's degree programs, many of which are in close alignment with military occupations such as social work and human services, business and management, information technology, communication and new media, education, criminal justice and emergency management, psychology and counseling, public health and health sciences, nursing and education.
Walden University supports its military-affiliated students by providing them with the following: assistance from an assigned dedicated enrollment advisor, VA Certifying Officials for military benefits advice, access to disability services, and a career transition counselor. Walden has a Military Leave of Absence Policy (MLOA) for active service members who encounter sudden military obligations like a call to emergency duty or a change in deployment. Veterans can also convert their military training into college credit.
Northcentral University
Northcentral University offers 20 online master's degree programs in areas such as business, education, health sciences, psychology, technology, family therapy, and marriage therapy. All programs are well suited for military students who are active service members because they offer flexible scheduling options.
Northcentral University's online classes start each week instead of the beginning of a semester. Active service members with busy schedules and less time to devote to their studies can stretch out the time it normally takes to obtain their master's degree. Northcentral also offers accelerated scheduling that allows military students to earn their master's degree in one year. Accelerated scheduling is available for the following master's programs: organization leadership, marriage and family therapy, technology and innovation management, psychology, and business.
Regent University
Regent University is a military-friendly Christian university that has been recognized by Military Times as Top 5 Best Colleges: Online & Nontraditional Schools (2018) and Top 10 Best for Vets: Online Schools. Military-affiliated students who wish to pursue a career and a master's degree in divinity/theology may want to consider Regent University.
Regent University accepts the College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP), The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), and college credit for military training and experience which when combined with military tuition assistance and VA benefits makes cuts tuition cost to almost $0, making it very affordable. Regent University offers over 50 online master's degree programs: 11 of which are in Divinity/Theology; 6 in Healthcare; 8 in Arts and Communication/English; 11 in Business and Leadership; 3 in Education; 9 in Law, Government and History; 1 in Nursing; 7 in Psychology and Counseling; 9 in interdisciplinary (STEM) education.
Liberty University
Military Times ranks Liberty University number 2 on its list of Top 5 Best Colleges: Online & Nontraditional Schools (2018). Liberty is a university to consider for military-connected students who aspire to become a chaplain in the military or in civilian facilities such as hospitals, eldercare, and prisons by obtaining their online Masters of Divinity - Chaplaincy degree.
Liberty has military academic programs such as the Institute for Military Resilience which trains service members on all hidden aspects of war wounds and the Liberty University Center for Chaplaincy which trains military chaplains. Liberty University also has over 150 other online master's degrees. These areas of study include health sciences, nursing, arts and sciences, law, behavioral sciences, business, communication, government, music, and visual arts. The online classes are eight weeks in duration, and they start eight times per year.
The Citadel
The Citadel is a military college, often referred to as the Military College of South Carolina. In 2022, it ranked number 1 by U.S. News & World Report on the Best Colleges for Veterans list. The Citadel offers exposure to military life special groups and high-quality education.
The Citadel offers online master's degrees through their Citadel Graduate College (CGC) in business administration, intelligence and security studies, interdisciplinary STEM, international politics and military affairs, social science, and leadership. The Citadel has the following military-specific cadet life special groups: Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) which grooms Marine Corps Officers; the Regimental Band and Pipes group comprised of drum majors and drummers; The Citadel Rifle Legion Drill Team which provides drill expertise to the Corps of Cadets; ROTC for Army, Navy, Marines, and the Air Force; the NROTC STA-21 program to groom seaman into admirals; and the Summerall Guards made up of seniors who perform the famous silent precision drill.
