US Navy Community College for Marines, Sailors, Coast Guard
The United States Naval Community College (USNCC) offers fully funded, online associate degrees and certificates to active-duty enlisted personnel, including Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. The college operates on a partnership model, offering flexible programs in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and health science.
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Origins and Development
The college was first proposed around 2021 to address the challenges enlisted service members face in completing traditional degrees while managing deployments and training schedules.
The goal was to create a flexible, online institution that would grant college credit for military experience and provide pathways to further education.
The USNCC began with pilot programs, enrolling over 3,000 service members by the end of 2023.
Key Milestones
On November 21, 2024, the Navy Community College was awarded Candidate for Accreditation status by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Following this, the college officially expanded its mission to include members of the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve.
In 2025, the USNCC began partnerships with a consortium of civilian colleges to deliver its programs. These partners include Arizona State University, Western Governors University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the University of Maryland Global Campus, among others.
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The Program Today
Today, all USNCC students begin by earning a core Naval Studies Certificate, a 15-credit program focused on leadership, ethics, and history. This certificate can be earned as a standalone or as the foundation of an associate degree.
The programs are available to all active-duty enlisted personnel from pay grades E-1 to E-9 in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The USNCC covers all costs for tuition, fees, and required materials.
Our original article is preserved below for archival purposes.
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Navy Community College
There is some good news ahead for Marines and sailors, with the opening of a new Navy Community College anticipated for 2021. This type of educational opportunity is greatly needed for several reasons. Finishing a traditional degree while serving in the military can be quite difficult. Between deployments and other trainings, there is not a lot of time to fit in a traditional program. A Navy Community College would be helpful in this regard.
Another reason for a Navy Community College would be to enable sailors and marines to earn real-world college credit based on their military experience. This would be a great way for sailors and marines to transition into a post-military career before they even leave the service, utilizing the skills they have learned to help them in the future. It can also create a stronger military force.
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Aligning the Navy’s Academic Institutions
John Kroger, the Navy’s new Chief Learning Officer, has the task of aligning the department’s academic institutions. That includes the US Naval Academy, the Naval War College, Naval Postgraduate School, Marine Corps University, and the new Navy Community College coming in a couple of years.
Kroger believes strongly in educating Marines and sailors in today’s world. The college will be mostly online, allowing for a more flexible way to attend school, which is much needed. However, the hope is also to have in-person classes in areas with larger Navy and Marine Corps populations.
The school would offer sailors and marines free associate’s degrees, as well as college credits that service members could easily transfer to other accredited schools. Sailors and marines would be able to earn degrees in a variety of subjects, from computer science to history or data analytics, according to Kroger in a Military.com article on the new Navy Community College.
Navy Wants to Partner with Colleges and Universities
The Navy wants to partner with colleges and universities that already offer strong associate degree programs. Classes will be flexible to allow sailors and marines to complete their education without having to start and stop their programs or give up time in a program they can’t complete due to military obligations.
Kroger aims to develop technological solutions that make it easier for sailors and marines to participate in ongoing and sustained education. The Navy Community College would be a significant way to achieve this, keeping up with the more modern approach to education, which is more flexible and accessible to an increasing number of people.
Hopefully, things will move ahead with this plan, and we will see the Navy Community College opening in the next few years. The college would be a big help to many sailors and marines.
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About the author
Julie Provost is a freelance writer, and blogger. She lives in Tennessee with her National Guard husband and three boys.