United States military academies
Encyclopedia
The United States Service academies, also known as the United States Military Academies, are federal academies
United States federal academies
There are eight federal academies run by the United States government.Five are military academies:* United States Military Academy, also known as "West Point" and "Army", founded 1802...

 for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

.

There are five U.S. Service academies:
  • The United States Military Academy
    United States Military Academy
    The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

     (USMA) in West Point, New York, founded in 1802.
  • The United States Naval Academy
    United States Naval Academy
    The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

     (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, founded in 1845.
  • The United States Coast Guard Academy
    United States Coast Guard Academy
    Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies...

     (USCGA) in New London, Connecticut, founded in 1876.
  • The United States Air Force Academy
    United States Air Force Academy
    The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...

     (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded in 1954.
  • The United States Merchant Marine Academy
    United States Merchant Marine Academy
    The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...

     (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York, founded in 1943.

Nature

Service academies can be used to refer to all of the academies collectively. In popular use, however, this term is more often used for the academies of the four branches of the military: those of the Army, Navy, and Air Force (under the Department of Defense); and that of the Coast Guard (under the Department of Homeland Security) and the Merchant Marine Academy under the Department of Transportation. These are the only five Academies whose students are on Active Duty in the Armed Forces of the United States from the day they enter the Academy, subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and eligible for all privileges and benefits of being members of an Armed Service, with the exception of the Merchant Marine Academy where their Midshipmen are commissioned into the Navy Reserve and the Strategic Sealift Navy Officer Program.

The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

, and therefore the Coast Guard Academy, is a United States military service under the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...

 but in time of war it can be placed as a service in the Department of the Navy.

At times, or in certain discussion groups, the Academies can be collectively referred to as "The Four Pointed Star."

Congressional nominations

Applicants to all Service academies, except the United States Coast Guard Academy, are required to obtain a nomination to the school. Nominations may be made by Senators, Representatives, the President, and the Vice President. Applicants to the Coast Guard Academy compete in a direct nationwide competitive process that has no by-state quotas.

Admissions

With the exception of the US Coast Guard Academy, all US Service Academies require a nomination before an Appointment is offered, by law. The admissions process to the US Service Academies is an extensive and very competitive process. The US Military Academy at West Point, the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, the US Merchant Marine Academy and the US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs all require an applicant to submit an on-line file and proceed through pre-candidate qualification before an application is provided. All these schools have an extremely competitive application process and are ranked annually by US News and World Report and Forbes.com as one of the most selective colleges and universities in America. The average acceptance rate is between 11-15% for each of the schools.

Nomenclature

Students at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

, the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...

, and the United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy
Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies...

 are cadets. Students at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 and the United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...

 are midshipmen. All cadets and midshipmen receive taxable pay at a rate of 35% of O1 under 2 years of service (which can be used to pay for textbooks and uniforms), free room and board, and pay no tuition or fees, with the exception of USMMA who receive pay only during their required 300+ days at sea during their 4 year studies.

United States Senior Military Colleges (SMCs)

  • State-supported Senior Military College:
    • Virginia Military Institute
      Virginia Military Institute
      The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...

  • State-supported Senior Military Colleges which also have civilian student populations and programs:
    • North Georgia College and State University
      North Georgia College and State University
      North Georgia College & State University is a four-year public university located in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia. Founded as North Georgia Agricultural College in 1873, it is the second oldest co-educational institution in the state. The university is renowned for its ROTC program, and is...

    • Texas A&M University
      Texas A&M University
      Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

       - Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets
      Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets
      The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets is a student military organization at Texas A&M University...

    • The Citadel
      The Citadel (military college)
      The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...

      , in South Carolina
    • Virginia Tech
      Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
      Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...

       - Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets
      Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets
      The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is the military component of the student body at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Cadets live together in dormitories, march to meals in formation, wear a distinctive uniform on campus, and receive an intensive military and leadership...

  • Privately chartered Senior Military College:
    • Norwich University
      Norwich University
      Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...


Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and other DOD Graduate Institutions

The United States federal government also runs the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is a health science university run by the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad in the medical corps....

, a post-graduate institution for the training of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals for the military and uniformed services. Additionally each of the services also operate a number of other graduate schools, granting Master's and in some cases Doctoral degrees. These schools include the National Defense University
National Defense University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...

, the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...

, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Naval War College, the Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...

, Air University and Marine Corps University
Marine Corps University
The Marine Corps University reports to the United States Marine Corps Training And Education Command. It was established on August 1, 1989 by General Alfred M...

. Every commissioned officer in the United States armed forces is expected to have a post-graduate degree and Joint Professional Military Education
Joint Professional Military Education
Joint Professional Military Education is a form of Professional Military Education in the United States that emphasizes a multiservice approach. Joint Professional Military Education was established following greater awareness during World War II of a need for effective cooperation between the...

 prior to promotion to Lieutenant Colonel or Commander. One more institution that does not fit neatly is the National Defense Intelligence College
National Defense Intelligence College
see also main article Staff collegeThe National Intelligence University, , is an accredited education and research institution serving the United States Intelligence Community by preparing personnel for senior positions in the U.S...

 which is run by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA
Dia
Dia is free and open source general-purpose diagramming software, developed originally by Alexander Larsson. Dia uses a controlled single document interface similar to GIMP and Sodipodi.- Features :...

) for the benefit of the United States intelligence community
Intelligence community
Intelligence community may refer to* Bangladeshi intelligence community* Croatian intelligence community * Israeli intelligence community* Italian intelligence community, see SISMI...

. It grants both Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

Preparatory Schools

These schools provide for strengthening of academic potential of candidates to each of the above-described United States service academies. Admission is restricted to those students who have applied to an academy, failed initially to qualify, either academically or physically, but who have demonstrated an ability to qualify during the initial admission selection process:
  • United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School
    United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School
    The U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School—usually referred to as "the Prep School" or "The P School"—was established in May 1961. The school's founder and first commander was Colonel Lee Charles Black. It is located on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy near the Community Center...

    • Prepares students for the Air Force Academy.
    • Also located on the campus of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado
      Colorado Springs, Colorado
      Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

      .
  • United States Military Academy Preparatory School
    • Prepares students for the United States Military Academy (West Point).
    • Presently located at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey but will be moved to West Point for all subsequent classes.
  • Naval Academy Preparatory School
    Naval Academy Preparatory School
    The Naval Academy Preparatory School, or NAPS is the preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy. NAPS is located on a hill at Naval Station Newport, RI. The mission of the school is "To enhance Midshipman Candidates' moral, mental, and physical foundations to prepare them for success...

     (NAPS)
    • The only prep school for students for the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis)
    • Located at Newport, Rhode Island
      Newport, Rhode Island
      Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

      .
  • United States Coast Guard Academy (CGA Scholars Program)
    • If selected for the scholarship the students and will attend either the New Mexico Military Institute
      New Mexico Military Institute
      New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...

       (located in Roswell, New Mexico
      Roswell, New Mexico
      Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...

      ) or the Marion Military Institute
      Marion Military Institute
      Marion Military Institute, often abbreviated with the initialism MMI, is the official state military college of Alabama. Founded in Marion in 1842, it continues at its original location.-History:...

       (located in Marion, Alabama
      Marion, Alabama
      Marion is the county seat of Perry County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,511. First called Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed after a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.-Geography:...

      ) for a ten-month preparatory program.

See also

  • List of defunct United States military academies
  • List of United States military schools and academies
  • Publicly chartered distance education for military members
    • Federal
      • Air University
    • Privately chartered
      • American Military University
        American Public University System
        The American Public University System is a for-profit, online learning institution of higher education that is composed of the American Military University and the American Public University...

         (distance education
        Distance education
        Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...

         only)
  • Reserve Officer Training Programs
    • JROTC
    • ROTC
  • Staff College
    Staff college
    Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...

    s
    • US military staff colleges
  • State/Private Military junior colleges
    • Five institutions are considered military junior college
      Military Junior College
      In the United States, a Military Junior College is a military-style junior college that allows cadets to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army reserve in two years, instead of the usual four, through the Early Commissioning Program. The students must still go on to complete a bachelor's...

      s. These five schools participate in the Army's two-year Early Commissioning Program
      Early Commissioning Program
      In the United States, the Early Commissioning Program allows graduates of one of the country's five military junior colleges to become commissioned officers in the armed forces reserve in two years, instead of the usual four. The students must still go on to complete a bachelor's degree before...

      , an Army ROTC program in which qualified students can earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant
      Second Lieutenant
      Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...

       after only two years of college
      • Georgia Military College
        Georgia Military College
        Georgia Military College is a United States Military Junior College, high school, and middle school in Milledgeville, Georgia. GMC is one of five military junior colleges that participates in the Army's Early Commissioning Program. Cadets who graduate from GMC's two-year, military science-oriented...

        , (Milledgeville, Georgia
        Milledgeville, Georgia
        Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...

        )
      • Marion Military Institute
        Marion Military Institute
        Marion Military Institute, often abbreviated with the initialism MMI, is the official state military college of Alabama. Founded in Marion in 1842, it continues at its original location.-History:...

        , (Marion, Alabama
        Marion, Alabama
        Marion is the county seat of Perry County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,511. First called Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed after a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.-Geography:...

        )
      • New Mexico Military Institute
        New Mexico Military Institute
        New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...

        , (Roswell, New Mexico
        Roswell, New Mexico
        Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...

        )
      • Valley Forge Military Academy and College
        Valley Forge Military Academy and College
        Valley Forge Military Academy & College is an American all male preparatory boarding school and coeducational junior college in the military school tradition...

        , (Wayne, Pennsylvania
        Wayne, Pennsylvania
        Wayne is an unincorporated community located on the Main Line, centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. While the center of Wayne is in Radnor Township, Wayne extends into both Tredyffrin Township in Chester County and Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County...

        )
      • Wentworth Military Academy and College
        Wentworth Military Academy
        Wentworth Military Academy and College is a private four-year college preparatory high school and military junior college. It is located in Lexington, Missouri, part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Wentworth is the oldest military academy west of the Mississippi River, and the...

        , (Lexington, Missouri
        Lexington, Missouri
        Lexington is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,453 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lafayette County. Located in western Missouri, Lexington lies about 40 miles east of Kansas City and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

        )
  • State-supported maritime colleges and universities:
    • Students at these academies graduate with appropriate licenses from the U.S. Coast Guard and/or U.S.*** California Maritime Academy
      California Maritime Academy
      The California Maritime Academy is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system and is one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States...

       (San Francisco bay area, California)
      • Great Lakes Maritime Academy
        Great Lakes Maritime Academy
        The Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College is located on West Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Michigan. The academy was established in 1969 to train men and women to be licensed mariners on ships of unlimited tonnage or horsepower; including research vessels, cruise...

        , a division of Northwestern Michigan College
        Northwestern Michigan College
        Founded in 1951, Northwestern Michigan College, known as NMC to local residents, is a community college in Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Its annual enrollment is around 5,100 students...

         (Michigan)
      • Maine Maritime Academy (Maine)
      • Massachusetts Maritime Academy
        Massachusetts Maritime Academy
        Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a regionally accredited, coeducational, state college offering undergraduate degrees in maritime-related fields, as well as graduate degrees and professional studies. Established in 1891, Mass Maritime is the second oldest state maritime academy in the country...

         (Massachusetts)
      • State University of New York Maritime College
        State University of New York Maritime College
        SUNY Maritime College is a maritime college located in the Bronx, New York City in historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the East River meets Long Island Sound...

         (New York)
      • Texas Maritime Academy, a division of Texas A&M University at Galveston
        Texas A&M University at Galveston
        Texas A&M University at Galveston is an ocean-oriented branch campus of Texas A&M University offering undergraduate degrees in marine biology, marine fisheries, marine engineering technology, marine sciences, marine transportation, maritime administration, maritime studies, maritime systems...

         (Texas)
  • State-supported military academies, that are not SMCs
    • California Military Academy
      California Military Academy
      The California Military Academy is a military academy of the California Army National Guard located at Camp San Luis Obispo.-History:The school started as an idea of an "Officer Candidate School" in 1950. However, a need for an academy in California convinced Major General Curtis D. O’Sullivan to...

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