15 Military Friendly Colleges in New Hampshire

1Southern New Hampshire University
2500 North River Road | Manchester, NH 03106

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is the first military friendly school in New Hampshire on our list. SNHU has over 5,900 students who get GI Bill benefits. ​The school has been meeting the needs of the region’s military students since World War II. The school offers discounts of up to 30% toward online undergrad and graduate degree programs for U.S. service members. This offer covers both full and part time students, and the spouses of those on active duty. 

SNHU participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. It offers an unlimited number of students up to $7,500 each, per year.

Veterans are eligible for transfer credit of military training. The retention rate for full time students who get military benefits is 86%. This rate for part time students is 80%.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $4,552
Grad: $5,610

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 9,293
Grad: 1,898

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 86%
Part Time: 80%

2 Granite State College
25 Hall Street | Concord, NH 03301

Granite State College helps military and veteran students succeed inside and outside of the classroom.

Granite State participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program by offering an unlimited number of students up to $480 each, per year.

Veterans are eligible for transfer credit of military training. The retention rate for full time students who get military benefits is 82%. This rate for part time students is 50%.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $5,568
Grad: $3,999

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 86
Grad: 8

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 82%
Part Time: 50%

3Great Bay Community College
320 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801-2879

Great Bay Community College offers associate degree and certificate programs. These include options in the sciences, healthcare, business technology and liberal arts.There are also niche career focused programs. Like allied health, veterinary technology, motorcycle maintenance and repair, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing. The college’s Business and Training Center offers other technical programs.

To make it easier to afford your studies, learn how you could use your VA education benefits.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $3,919
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 52
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 70%
Part Time: 100%

4 Plymouth State University
17 High Street | Plymouth, NH 03264

Plymouth State University (PSU) participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program by offering an unlimited number of undergrad students an unlimited max contribution per year. An unlimited number of graduate students get up to $1,000 each, per year. And, an unlimited number of EdD students get up to $1,000 each, per year.

Veterans are eligible for transfer credit of military training. The retention rate for full time students who get military benefits is 100%.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $10,675
Grad: $9,474

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 41
Grad: 12

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 100%
Part Time: N/A

5 Keene State College
229 Main Street | Keene, NH 03435

Keene State College (KSC) has several social support programs for veterans. These enable veteran students to gain the greatest benefit from their college experience. Veteran Support Services (VSS) helps veterans with everything from paperwork to programs that help them get the most from college. And, the Veterans Support Advisory Committee is a great resource. This standing committee makes Keene State College a welcoming, comfortable, and engaging campus for veterans.

KSC participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. It offers an unlimited number of undergrad students an unlimited max contribution per year.

Veterans are eligible for transfer credit of military training. The retention rate for full time students who get military benefits is 100%.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $10,437
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 44
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 100%
Part Time: 67%

6 Manchester Community College
1066 Front St, Manchester, New Hampshire 03102-8518

Manchester Community College is a fully accredited public non-profit community college. The school offers more than 60 associate degree and certificate programs. Choose from art and design, automotive technology, business, construction technologies, education, healthcare and liberal arts.

MCC is also an open admission college with an easy and straightforward enrollment process. They have a long history of catering to military students as well. Established as the State Trade School at Manchester in 1945, MCC was founded in order to train returning WWII soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen for life after military service.

As a military learner, you could access the MCC Veterans Center. It is a safe on campus space for all MCC students who current or former military members, their spouses, and dependents. Use it to study, relax, refresh, and socialize.

The Veterans Service Team is also there to support you. Tap into their resources to help you gain new skills, enhance existing skills and to transfer skills acquired in the military for use in civilian life.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $2,950
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 73
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 50%
Part Time: 100%

7 NHTI-Concord’s Community College
31 College Drive, Concord, New Hampshire 03301-7412

NHTI offers daytime, evening, hybrid, remote, and online class options with 8- and 16-week sessions. There are 80+ degree and certificate programs in six focus areas. The school also has a large military student population and many resources to help you.

The school charges qualifying military students and dependents the in-state tuition rate and could assist you in using your military education benefits. Apart from benefits, you may find it welcoming on a social level.

Located in NHTI Sweeney Hall’s second floor, there is a military students’ lounge. It features a computer, printer, TV, video system, and CAC reader, plus many other resources including just being a quiet space.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $2,627
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 99
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 92%
Part Time: 100%

8 Rivier University
420 South Main St | Nashua, NH 03060

Rivier University is another military friendly college in New Hampshire. The school is committed to working with veterans to help them take full advantage of their earned benefits. The school has a Veterans Coordinator to help military students through the enrollment process.

Rivier participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program by offering 50 undergrad students up to $8,000 each, per year.

Veterans are eligible for transfer credit of military training. The retention rates for full time students who get military benefits is 67%. This rate for part time students is 100%.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $15,645
Grad: $13,209

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 11
Grad: 13

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 67%
Part Time: 100%

9 Franklin Pierce University
40 University Drive | Rindge, NH 03461

Franklin Pierce University welcomes veterans and military personnel.

Franklin Pierce participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. It offers 50 undergrad students and 50 graduate students at each location up to $1,000 each, per year.

Veterans are eligible for transfer credit of military training. The retention rate for full time students who get military benefits is 100%.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $10,821
Grad: $17,319

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 9
Grad: 10

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 100%
Part Time: N/A

10 White Mountains Community College
2020 Riverside Drive, Berlin, New Hampshire 03570

White Mountains Community College describes itself as student centered. The college offers many associate degree and certificate programs across diverse areas. From automotive and autism education. To nursing, pipe welding and veterinary assistant. To make it more affordable for you, the school could help you learn how to apply for and use your VA benefits. Academic advising is available to all students. 

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $267
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 11
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 100%
Part Time: N/A

11 Nashua Community College
505 Amherst St, Nashua, New Hampshire 03063-1026

Nashua Community College offers military assistance programs. So once you’ve applied for benefits, the school could help you understand how to use them in one of their many programs. These include RN to BSN pathways, associate degrees and certificate programs. There are also a number of bootcamps which are short term programs that build skills in one specific area.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $2,769
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 24
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 88%
Part Time: 50%

12 River Valley Community College
1 College Place, Claremont, New Hampshire 03743-9707

River Valley features an 8:1 student to professor ration. The school also offers 33 degrees and certificates. To pay for school, you could see the School Certifying Official for Military Education Benefits in the Registrar’s Office at RVCC. Their goal is to assist Veterans and their dependents, guardsmen, and reservists to access educational benefits. These may be available through the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, the Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty, the Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve and VA Vocational Rehab. 

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $5,976
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 7
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 100%
Part Time: 33%

13 Lakes Region Community College
379 Belmont Road, Laconia, New Hampshire 03246

Lakes Region Community College is a fully accredited, not-for-profit, community college. It is located in the city of Laconia in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire. LRCC offers a variety of college degree and certificate programs, training programs and even dual-enrollment opportunities for NH high school students looking to get an early start on their college credits. As a veteran/military student, you could expect the campus to have a VA certifying official. to help you access your benefits.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $5,323
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 11
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 40%
Part Time: 75%

14 Michaels School of Hair Design and Esthetics –
Paul Mitchell Partner School
79-6 South River Road, Bedford, New Hampshire 03110

Michaels School of Hair Design and Esthetics offers programs in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and teacher training. One of the possible ways to afford studies is through benefits and other financial aid. Paul Mitchell Schools are giving away $1 million in scholarships nationwide to eligible students.

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $16,991
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 1
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 89%
Part Time: 63%

15 Empire Beauty School – Somersworth
PO Box 16309, Hooksett, NH 03106

Empire Beauty School offers programs in cosmetology, esthetics, and barbering. If you served on active duty, you might be eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to use at one of their programs. 

Average Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Awarded

Undergrad: $12,947
Grad: N/A

# of Students Earning 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Undergrad: 1
Grad: N/A

Retention Rates For Students Who Receive Benefits

Full Time: 90%
Part Time: 82%