Stuart Broadway is stationed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the United States Coast Guard – some 2,600 miles from Oregon State University in Corvallis. He enrolled as an online student with Oregon State Ecampus in 2012 with little knowledge of the school.


His metaphorical leap of faith was rewarded nicely: When Stuart visited the OSU campus for the first time in June 2016, he picked up a keepsake – his college diploma.

"Graduating was one of my proudest moments as an adult," Stuart said. "And enrolling with OSU Ecampus was one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Oregon State is ranked one of the nation's best providers of online education because its offerings meet the needs of students like Stuart all around the world. With more than 45 degree programs and more than 1,000 classes delivered online, OSU Ecampus gives military service members, veterans and their dependents access to a first-rate education wherever and whenever they need to learn.

With that flexibility comes ample respect and prestige. Oregon State is regionally accredited and regarded by several publications as a military friendly school.

And for the second straight year, Ecampus is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's 10 best institutions for military service members and veterans to earn a degree online.

"I wanted a program that had the backing of a highly respected institution such as Oregon State," said Stuart, who holds a B.S. in Environmental Sciences. "The online classes were not watered down. They were the same ones offered on campus and taught by professors who also teach on campus. It was a great experience."

Ecampus programs have proven to be a viable learning option – and a path to career advancement – for veterans and active duty members alike.

Alyssa Halstead is an intelligence analyst in the Air National Guard, stationed in Warner Robins, Georgia. She began looking at opportunities to continue her education in a flexible format that fit the demands of the military lifestyle.


She found Oregon State and, in spite of a series of deployments, managed to succeed as a distance student and earn her anthropology degree online. She traveled to the OSU campus in June to accept her diploma in person – just one week after returning from a deployment.

"Knowing that my degree is no different than an on-campus degree makes me feel like I'm part of the entire Oregon State community," Alyssa said. "The commitment, understanding and support that I felt while enrolled is what really separated OSU from other any other institution that I researched."

Alyssa has a number of years of service remaining in the Air National Guard, after which she plans to pursue a civilian career. But that hasn't stopped her from already putting her education to good use.

"I have been able to apply the knowledge I learned at Oregon State to my profession as a military member and enhance my abilities at work," she said. "I know that my degree has set me up for success in the future and I hope to utilize it to become a teacher and influence younger minds."