Obtaining an education has long been considered an essential component in attaining personal success. As a result, many endeavor to locate those institutions of higher learning that will fulfill this purpose. Knowledge, however, is not the only discernible characteristic needed for a productive and successful career. Integrity, discipline, and honor (among others) are also laudable and desired traits that need to be developed. Yet these social qualities are seldom emphasized in traditional academic curriculum.
However, this is not so with schools that features a military tradition as a part of its overall academic offerings. These institutions offer an environment that is completely unique in comparison to traditional schools. Military schools place great stress on discipline, teamwork, and goal-oriented achievement in a blend of military structure and competitive academics. The aim: to produce highly capable graduates who are able to assume the reins of leadership in their various occupational pursuits (military or civilian). The following are the top 10 military schools.
Author’s note: For this list, I’ve confined myself to American, post-secondary institutions (i.e. colleges and universities). Further, virtually every military-oriented school has features that can be found in every other institution of the same nature – such as a rigid honor code or high academic standards. As such, one may ask what the big difference from one school to another is. Well, that answer is ultimately up to the reader, but I have attempted to articulate something unique about each school, as well as the common characteristics that these institutions share.
10. Valley Forge Military Academy and College
Officially designated as the Military College of Pennsylvania, Valley Forge is an interesting institution in that it is both a secondary and post-secondary school. Founded in 1928, the school is located in Wayne, Pennsylvania and offers instruction for young men in grades 7-12 (junior high and high school) as well as a two-year post-secondary offering. In fact, Valley Forge is one of only five military junior colleges and offers a direct commission into the army after only two years of study (through the army’s Early Commissioning Program). In essence, students at Valley Forge can begin their military indoctrination at a very early age and carry it through college.
The school offers a very intimate atmosphere due to the small number of students (compared with larger institutions) on campus. In total, Valley Forge has about 600 students, with a little over half of these being enrolled in the college. Like most military schools, students are a part of a corps of cadets and abide by a strict, no-nonsense honor code. It’s interesting to note that the corps of cadets is described as almost completely autonomous. By this, it is meant that the student leaders within the corps are responsible for the day-to-day administration, discipline, training, etc. of the other students.
Cadets are required to live on campus and follow a very structured daily routine: formation, breakfast, cleaning details, academic classes until lunch and then more classes until mid-afternoon. After classes, students participate in athletics and such, winding down to mandatory study halls from 7:30-9:30 PM. While this is fairly standard for any military school, Valley Forge has some unique characteristics that are wholly their own. One is that unlike other military schools, Valley Forge follows very distinctive British
Valley Forge is also one of the few military schools in the nation that maintains a mounted battalion and that caters to all five branches of the U.S. military and all five service academies. Valley Forge is a bastion of traditions that are both standard and unique, offering a level of education that is not only competitive, but personal and intimate because of its small size.
Alumni: William R. Trefel-chairman of the board, CarMax; Larry Fitzgerald-professional NFL player
9. US Merchant Marine Academy
Their motto is “Deeds not words,” and there is no other service that better exemplifies this creed than the Merchant Marine Service. While very few consider the importance of sea transport, suffice to say that the military does. In fact, because the U.S. Navy does not maintain the necessary sealift capacity to move high numbers of military formations (personnel, equipment, supplies) to diverse locations around the world, the Merchant Marines (which are basically privately owned, U.S. flagged transports) provides this ability for the armed forces.
Of course, the Merchant Marines also provide the lifeline of international commerce as the means for moving goods across the world’s waterways. To further this endeavor, it became apparent that an institution of higher education was needed to develop seafaring officers. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) was established in 1942 for this very purpose end is one of the 5 federal service academies that train its students for military (or in the case of the Merchant Marine and Coast Guard, military related) service.
Located at Kings Point, New York, USMMA enrolls a little over 900 undergraduate students. Getting in, however, is not easy. In fact, an excellent high school student might find it easier being accepted by Harvard or Yale. Aspiring candidates for USMMA must have strong SAT/ACT scores, write an essay, provide 3 letters of recommendations, pass a medical and physical fitness examination, and obtain a nomination from a member of Congress (either a U.S. Senator or Representative). If successful, and after a period of indoctrination the summer before the first school year at USMMA, students are welcomed into the Regiment of Midshipmen.
As with all federal service academies (and one of the attractive features of attending), all expenses are paid by the government, and each student receives a monthly stipend. Life, however, in the regiment is about what one would expect for a military academy. When Midshipmen take their oath of office in their first year, they become members of the U.S. Navy reserve. In other words, welcome to the military! A regimented military environment is the norm at USMMA, but unlike the other academies (with exception to the Coast Guard Academy); the emphasis here is maritime in nature. Midshipmen focus their academic studies in one of two maritime-related areas: marine transportation and marine engineering. Courses of study lead to a Bachelor of Science degree in 6 different majors, as well as maritime accreditation and licensing. Additionally, USMMA midshipmen are provided a heavy course of practical experience.
Between their sophomore and junior years, midshipmen are required to serve as cadets on operational U.S. merchant ships. During this time, students will visit, on average, 18 foreign countries and spend almost a year away from the academy. With four years of intense academic study, leadership development, physical and military training, midshipmen have a number of options available to them upon graduation. Unlike the other service academies that require several years of active duty service upon graduation, USMMA graduates are responsible to fulfill their government obligations on their own accord. Essentially, USMMA graduates have the option of either obtaining employment in an approved civilian maritime occupation, or serve as an officer in one of the 4 branches of the U.S. military. Graduates leave the academy with a B.S. degree, a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve (unless they choose to accept an active duty commission), and an unlimited license as a merchant marine officer (3rd mate or 3rd asst. engineer). In short, if one is looking for a career on the seven seas, as well as a superior quality education, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is a very attractive option.
Alumni: Mark Kelly, U.S. Naval captain, space shuttle pilot, and husband of former U.S. Representative Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords of Arizona
8. US Coast Guard Academy
It seems proper to follow our 9th spot with another maritime-related school that probably has escaped the attention of most of the American public. With the motto, “the sea yields knowledge”, the Military Academy of the United States Coast Guard is charged with providing officers for the U.S. Coast Guard service (or other military services).
Located in New London, Connecticut, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is the smallest of the five federal service academies. As with all the federal service academies, admissions are very selective. Unlike the other service academies, however, USCGA admissions standards are based solely on merit. As such, potential candidates do not have to obtain a nomination from a U.S. member of Congress. Nevertheless, USCGA is renowned for being one of the most selective schools to gain entrance to, with the school accepting about 16% of the students that apply (about 400 of 2,500 applicants). USCGA also has the highest number of women amongst the service academies, with female cadets comprising about 30% of the student body. All students, male and female, make up the schools Corps of Cadets.
As with all federal service academies, USCGA cadets are on active duty (Naval Reserve), wear uniforms at all times and follow a very strict and regimented daily routine. The Corps of Cadets is a self-administrating body, which is to say that the student themselves are responsible for the day-to-day operations of other students (training, discipline, etc.). With this, the classes of cadets (freshman/4th class, sophomore/3rd class, etc.) are structured to facilitate this dynamic. The 1st class, for example, is made up of students that hold the senior leadership roles in the Corps, while the 4th class is basically a bunch of followers.
The organization of the Corps, down to its smallest operation component (departments and divisions), is designed to mirror the organizational structure of a Coast Guard cutter. The idea is to provide leadership experience to cadets in a meaningful and practical way. In addition to the daily military influence cadets are required to participate in various types of intense military training during the summer (generally maritime related). In addition, the USCGA requires its students to carry a very strong academic course load, with emphasis on engineering and the sciences. Upon graduation, cadets are commissioned as ensigns and required to serve at least 5 years in the U.S. Coast Guard (or apply for commission in another one of the branches of the armed services for a similar length of time).
The Coast Guard is a unique service as it is not strictly military in nature. The CG provides both emergency first response services and as well as maritime law enforcement (and come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security and not the Department of Defense). Nevertheless, the Coast Guard has a military component in its mandate that includes harbor and port security, and the protection of naval assets. As a result, the service not only provides various challenging career opportunities, but requires an institution of higher learning such as the USCGA to train and develop the officers that allow the service to excel at its mission.
Alumni: Sandra L. Stosz, admiral, first woman to command a service academy, first female graduate to earn flag rank.
7. The Citadel
Officially titled “The Military College of South Carolina”, the Citadel is a school of high academic standards and rich traditions. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the Citadel was established in 1842. The school is known for its Corps of Cadets undergraduate military program that integrates high level academics with physical training and military discipline.
The Citadel is somewhat unique in the makeup of its student body. Of the 3,300 students that attend the school, 1100 of these students are civilians who take part in the schools post-graduate offerings. Another 100 or so are active duty personnel and veterans. Both of these groups attend evening classes and are separated from the main body of students. The main body of students at the Citadel (about 2,100 strong) comprises the Corps of Cadets. The Citadel has the distinction of maintaining one the largest Corps of Cadets outside of the service academies. Interestingly, the Citadel also is ranked among the top two schools in the number of officers that are commissioned among schools that offer ROTC programs.
Life for the Corps of Cadets is pretty similar to cadet life elsewhere. Typically, cadets have physical training twice a day, along with drills, leadership training and, of course, their normal academic classes. Cadets are expected to stand regular formations and they march to all meals. Cadets are required to live on campus and are only permitted to go out on weekends (though they must return to the campus at specified times). In addition, a cadet cannot be married.
Unlike the service academies, however, cadets, while required to participate in four years of ROTC training, are not required to enter the military upon graduation, though they are offered commissions in the armed forces (and about 40% accept). And a cadet has a good chance of graduating as well, as the school maintains a high graduation on-time percentage in the nation (69% for 4 years). The Citadel prides itself on the strong academic foundation of its graduates. In fact, Citadel engineering graduates are highly sought after and the Citadel’s engineering school is consistently ranked among the best in America. The Citadel has also produced 269 flag/general officers. Without doubt, this school produces graduates who are capable of excelling in their chosen field of endeavor, whether it’s civilian or military.
Interesting note: the firing on Fort Sumter, generally considered the first shot that sparked the Civil War was not actually the first shot fired. In fact, the first shot fired was by cadets of the Citadel who were manning the cannons and fired on the resupply steamer “Star of the West'” that was heading to Fort Sumter.
Alumni: Ernest ‘Fritz’ Hollings, U.S. Senator; Pay Conroy, novelist
6. Virginia Military Institute
With the inspiring motto, “in peace a glorious asset, in war a tower of strength”, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) stands as a monument to academics in the military tradition. VMI is a public military college (which means that it receives support though minimal- from the state of Virginia) founded in 1839 and located in Lexington, Virginia. It is the oldest state-supported military college in the country. Unlike other military colleges (the federal service academies), all of VMI’s students are members of the Corps of Cadets. This tradition of not offering civilian programs is in keeping with VMI efforts to offer students “a Spartan, physically and academically demanding environment combined with strict military discipline.”
This they do very well. Cadets at VMI don’t even have beds! Instead, they have what amounts to a roll-out mats that are slept on. Of course there is the strict honor code, one for which a violation can merit immediate expulsion from the institution. VMI was also the last military college to admit women, doing so in 1997 under the looming threat of a court order.
Tradition is very important at VMI. Nevertheless, the schools academics are without peer. Its engineering programs are highly ranked, as well as the school itself. VMI has produced more Rhodes Scholars than all of the other senior military colleges combined. Its strong academics, combined with its rigorous military traditions, succeed in producing highly motivated and capable graduates. VMI states that within 4 months of a cadet graduating, 97% are either serving in the military, employed in civilian occupations or admitted to a graduate or professional school/program.
While students at VMI are indoctrinated into a military lifestyle, graduates are not required to join the military, though obviously, very high percentages do accept commissions in the various branches of the armed forces. To this fact, VMI has so far produced 265 general/flag officers and 7 Medal of Honor recipients. VMI is the only school, including the service academies, to have graduates who have served as the service chief of three of the four primary armed service branches. Success is a way of life for graduates of the Virginia Military Institute.
Alumni: George Marshall, US General/Secretary Of State/Nobel Prize Winner
5. Norwich University
Norwich University has been around for a while. Established in 1819, Norwich has the distinction of being the oldest of the six senior military colleges. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense recognizes Norwich as being the birthplace of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.
The founding of the university is interesting in that its founder, Captain Alden B. Partridge’s, intention was to create an education model that was wholly American and structured around a liberal arts academic curriculum. Captain Partridge’s motivation for doing this was to counter what he felt was an elitist (he called it burgeoning professional officers) class in America, and wanted a well-educated and trained militia to be able to counter it. He certainly succeeded in creating an institution that catered to academic excellence and military leadership development, a template that other institutions such as the Citadel and VMI would emulate.
Presently, Norwich enrolls about 3,400. Officially known as the Military College of Vermont, the university has a mix of both civilian and cadet students (though the majority of the student body comprises the schools corps of cadets). The school’s motto, “I will try”, emphasizes its determination to provide a high academic standard within a traditional military styled environment. The school hosts 29 majors that span 6 academic divisions (with the most popular major being criminal justice). However, it is the corps of cadets and military styled training that stands as a hallmark at Norwich. There’s a reason the school has produced 138 generals for the armed forces. There is a continuing effort to provide the highest quality military training and development possible. In these efforts, Norwich sponsors specialized ROTC units. These include the Norwich Rangers (Army) and the Mountain/Cold Weather Company (Army and Air Force), and Air Force Special Operations Unit (the Navy component sponsors a chapter of Semper Fidelis).
An interesting note about Norwich is that a high number of its graduates that are commissioned into the U.S. Army choose to become armor officers. Because Norwich is a private school, students who are a part of the corps of cadets are not required to join the military upon graduation, though obviously, high percentages do so.
Alumni: Thomas Green Clemson- US ambassador to Belgium and founder of Clemson University. Bill W. co-founder of Alcoholic Anonymous
4. US Air Force Academy
Established in 1954, the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) is the youngest of the five federal service academies. It is by no means any less prestigious than the other four. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the academy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state. USAFA’s mission, however, is not about attracting sight seers. Rather, its stated goal is to “educate, train, and inspire men and women to become officers of character, motivated to lead the Air Force in service to our nation.”
That’s a tall order, and one which the academy performs well to the benefit of its 4,417 students. USAFA is consistently ranked by such publications as Forbes and the U.S. News and World Report as one of the best colleges in the nation. Indeed, the academy’s undergraduate engineering program was recently ranked as the 5th best in America.
With excellence comes prestige, and USAFA is one of the most selective institutions of higher learning to gain admissions to. As with all federal service academies (excepting the Coast Guard Academy), a nomination from a member of congress is necessary, in addition to other stringent criteria. Once admitted, however, all expenses (tuition, books, etc.) are paid by the government. Of course, upon graduation, one is required to serve up to five years on active duty in the Air Force, or another selected branch of the armed services.
The education value is more than worth it. The academy’s curriculum emphasizes military training, academics, athletics and character development. Academically, while humanities and military studies are a significant part of the core curriculum, there is a heavy dose of engineering, science and mathematics that must be mastered. In addition, there are numerous research opportunities at the academy as well. Of course, the primary mission of the academy is to train students or cadets to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Air Force. As such, being a member of the Cadet Wing (similar to the Corps of Cadets, just a different name) takes center stage at the academy.
As with other military schools, the Cadet Wing is responsible for a great deal of its own internal administration, with leadership responsibilities primarily carried out by upper class cadets. There is the traditional honor code- “we will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does”- that is adhered to. On a daily basis, life for the typical cadets follows rigid pattern- formations, academics, physical training/athletics, and military training. The academy’s sports programs have benefited from the level of athletic participation required. Competing at the NCAA division 1 1evel, the academy’s football team has been competitive nationally, as well as several other varsity level sports. The combination of all of this produces men and women (who make up about 21% of the class) who go on to excel as officers in the U.S. armed forces.
Alumni: Heather Wilson- Rhodes Scholar, U.S. Representative, New Mexico
3. Texas A & M University
It is surprising at the number of people who do not realize that Texas A & M is one of the six senior military colleges in America. In fact, until 1965, participation in the corps of cadets was mandatory for every student enrolled at the university.
Established in 1871 and located at College Station, Texas, the schools original mandate was to “educate white males in farming and military techniques.” Presently, students have the option of enrollment into the corps or opting for a traditional academic curriculum. The university is only one of three public schools with a full-time corps of cadets on campus. Nevertheless, the university’s corps of cadets is the largest in the country (with exception of the service academies), numbering about 2,250 cadets. Considering, however, that current enrollment at the school tops 50,000, then it’s not inconceivable how the corps could be overlooked.
Still, the sheer size of the university (it’s the 6th largest university in the U.S.) and the academic opportunities that come with this is certainly to the benefit of the cadets. The school has a rich tradition of providing quality officers to the U.S. armed forces. The school has produced over 225 flag and general officers, and members of the schools corps of cadets have been involved in every American armed conflict since 1875. The school’s marching band is also the largest precision military marching band- in the world! Texas does everything big.
The corps of cadets, to give one an idea of the scope of its military program is broken down as follows: 3 Air Force wings, 3 Army brigades, 2 Navy and Marine regiments, nd the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. As a result, the university produces more commissioned officers for the U.S. armed forces than any other school outside of the service academies.
And then there are the academics. The university offers degrees in over 150 different fields of study, has 10 colleges and 18 research facilities (in 2001, the university cloned the first domestic animal, a cat named CC). Opportunity is the operative word that comes to mind with Texas A & M. The school offers an environment in which a cadet/student has all the tools necessary to become a successful member of society and their chosen profession- military or civilian.
Alumni: Rick Perry, Texas Governor; Mike Fossum, Astronaut
2. The U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
There is little question about the value of a West Point education. Established in 1802 and located at West Point, New York, the academy has been in the forefront of producing leaders for this nation from the very earliest days of its inception. The motto of the school is simple: “Duty, Honor, Country”. Simple and yet very profound.
For over 200 years, this school has dedicated itself to produce the highest quality of officers for service to the armed forces of America. As a result of its high academic standards and offerings, as well as its military influenced leadership and character development, West Point is consistently ranked among the best schools to attend in the nation.
Gaining admission, however, is not an easy endeavor. As with all the federal service academies -selection is a tough process, with only a small percentage of applicants gaining admission each year (a little over 12%). The school offers 45 academic majors, with the most popular ranging from foreign languages to mechanical engineering. The academics at the school are structured according to the Thayer system (named after former academy superintendent Sylvanus Thayer). This system places an emphasis on small classes that allow more one-on-one interaction with students, and daily homework. The idea (with the homework) is to encourage cadets to be actively responsible for their own learning by making them accountable by completing their class assignments outside of the classroom (and discussing the assignments during the next class period).
With its primary goal of training officers, as with the entire federal service academy, there is an emphasis on the military aspects of the school. All students are members of the corps of cadets and are technically on active duty in the armed forces while attending the school. Upon graduation, every cadet (now a commissioned officer) is required to serve several years in the armed forces of the United States.
Currently, there are 4,487 cadets at the school (of which, about 15% are women). Cadets will reside on campus for all four years, though with each succeeding year, cadets are granted additional privileges (such as weekend passes). All 4000+ students eat breakfast and lunch together during the weekdays in the school’s enormous mess hall. This is just one of the many traditions that have made West Point a fixture in the lexicon of military schools. West Point was also the first school to have class rings for its graduates. And consider the alumni who have graduated from the school -the names read like a who’s who of military (and civilian) excellence. West Point is not just about commissioning officers for the military, it produces leaders.
Alumni: Douglas MacArthur, 5 star general; George Patton, 4 star general; Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States, 5 star general; Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, general.
1. US Naval Academy
I will admit to a slight bias with this selection; in all honestly, West Point and Annapolis are really neck and neck in terms of quality. However, being a former Marine, well…
There is no finer institution than the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Established in 1845, it is the second oldest federal service academy, behind West Point. With an enrollment of 4,400 midshipmen, the mission of the academy is to educate, train and develop officers for commissioning in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The academy produces high quality graduates that are prepared to undertake the reins of leadership in either the military or civilian sectors.
The academy was recently ranked as the #1 public liberal arts college in America by U.S. News and World Report, and its engineering program is consistently ranked in the upper echelons. The academy is also an accredited Technological Institution. With 22 majors in 3 divisions (engineering and weapons, mathematics and science, humanities and social science), the academy is well equipped to provide the highest level of academic training to its Brigade of Midshipmen. Consider the pedigree of its alumni stats: 990 noteworthy scholars, 45 Rhodes Scholars, 16 Marshall Scholars, 50 astronauts (sorry Air Force, that’s more than any other school), 2 Nobel Prize winners and a U.S. President.
Of course, any image of Annapolis brings with it the Brigade of Midshipmen, probably marching around sporting their crisp white uniforms. Certainly, the rigid military styled environment – as with all the service academies- forms the structure that midshipmen must acclimate themselves too. One aspect of this system that differs from other institutions is the Naval Academy’s approach to the honor code. While other institutions have a formal proceeding to address honor code violations (as does the Naval Academy), the academy encourages midshipmen to confront violators on a personal basis when the situation warrants. In this manner, it is believed that this process develops honor among the men and women, as well as a sense of moral self-worth. It is also noteworthy that the term midshipmen is not arbitrary, but is an actual naval rank (it falls between the warrant officer rank of w-1 and w-2). This is in accords with being officers of the line, but in training.
In addition to a heavy academic load, military leadership training, and athletic participation, students also spend their summers engaged in specialized military training – from oversea cruises aboard U.S. warships to special schools like the Army’s Jump (parachute) school. The Naval Academy also fields NCAA division I athletic teams. However, it is their rivalry with West Point that highlights any sporting matchup (they compete against one another in every sport both institutions dually field).
What is certain is that the naval officer is traditionally seen as not only a leader of men, but as an individual that is competent in their chosen endeavor. For those who attend the U.S. Naval Academy, this is what one can expect of themselves.
Alumni: Jimmy Carter, President of United States; David Robinson, NBA player; Roger Staubach, NFL quarterback
145 Comments
Hey! thinking about going into a military college. Could you give me advice/can we talk?
I’ve got several dogs in this fight so I’d like to try to shed some additional light on the topic. First, I’m a 1956 graduate of Valley Forge’s secondary school (12th grade) and I was very pleased to see VFMAJC, a two year school, make the list of top American Academies. I think it’s well deserved. Visit the campus some time to verify it. I spent a year in a private university ROTC program before entering West Point; graduating in 1962. As a West Point Cadet I made exchange visits to both Annapolis and Texas A&M. During my senior (First Class) year I was mentored by a brilliant Major on the faculty who was a Norwich grad. I have since visited VMI and on active duty I served with some outstanding VMI graduates and a number of fine officers from other sources. My conclusion: all of the institutions of which I have personal knowledge are fine schools and capable of producing outstanding leaders of character, even, despite our sports rivalry, the Naval Academy. That said, there is one aspect of this discussion that I find troublesome and worthy of criticism. That is, the extreme hostility towards Texas A&M and its student body exhibited by some rabid University of Texas students and alumni. For 20 years I’ve lived on the outskirts of Austin, home of UT. There is a very unhealthy strain of animosity between the schools, more notably on the part of UT, where the assertion “I hate Aggies!” is commonly expressed. It’s troublesome that school spirit can take such a nasty turn – and that’s one thing that all the military academies seem able to avoid. Our rivalries are intense, but we all respect and honor one another.
As a final note, The UT Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team recently won the regional Brigade Ranger Challenge competition, defeating Texas A&M, and will travel to West Point later this year to compete in an international event.
Hook ’em Horns!
(But stop the hate!)
I want my son to a be a military personnel, he is just 3 years now and I need him to be built up from young age in a good US military school. What & how can I go about it.
I cannot wait till I am able to apply.
i will be happy if i can join the military
can a student from albania join any of these schools??
Based on the Forbes listing I would have put VMI ahead of Norwich and Texas A&M
As a proud Hokie and graduate of the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech I must say I am a little disappointed that the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets was not listed.
The Corps at Virginia Tech started in 1872 and though it did lose numbers after Vietnam, has seen a resurgence in the last 10 years. Today they have over 1000 cadets. A majority of these cadets will go on to commission into one of the 4 branches of service (I believe they commission somewhere around 74% of their senior class) Those who don’t commission go on to serve their communities as business leaders, government employees, teachers, police officers and entrepreneurs, etc.
The ROTC’s at VT are consistently rated top in their branches.
We have had generals, business leaders,a Nobel prize winner, and some of our graduates helped put men on the moon (Chris Craft and Homer Hickom to name two).
Academically the cadets must qualify to get into Virginia Tech before they even come to the Corps and many graduate with a degree from the competitive Engineering program. The Corps always had high academic standards and the cadets (when I was there) were always slightly ahead of our across campus counterparts when it came to GPAs.
I mean it says something when the United States Army chooses to highlight your organization on their ROTC information website doesn’t it?
http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/success-stories.html
http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges.html
http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/military-colleges.html
Thanks for this article though!
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC) commissions a higher percentage of officers than any other senior military college. It also has the highest admission standards of the senior military colleges. The University itself. along with TX A&M, are the only Public Universities with a Senior Military College ranked in the top 25 of National Public Universities by US NEWS & WORLD REPORT. Indeed, the VTCC has over 1k cadets. was founded in 1872, and has 7 medal of honor winners.
Amen! I was just going to mention that we were left out of the rankings…and we are definitely solid competition to the service academies and Texas A&M…
@Lee Standberry – if you rank Military colleges again and want info on the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets – please contact me- I’m the Asst. Commandant for Recruiting at Virginia Tech – I’d be happy to give you some information.
I have read through all the comments and I find the readers responses interesting. I applaud the passion people have for their respective universities and branch of service, and their drive for accuracy, being heard, wanting more, etc.
I want to say, “Thank you” for the time and effort you put into this article. I can imagine the time it took to research the history of each Institution was demanding, ordering the schools difficult, and trying to personal bias overwhelming. I have no doubt there are many Institutions or programs that offer the traditional military atmosphere that are solid, produce very successful alumni, and have extremely rich traditions. However, it sounds as though you were tasked to identify the “Top 10 Military Schools in America,” not the top 10 ROTC programs or top 10 divisions, etc. but Schools, Institutions, etc. No doubt the challenge this offered you. So, kudos. Nicely done.
I am a proud 1990 Norwich University, Military College of Vermont alumni and the virtues and lessons I gained while a member of the Corps of Cadets are incorporated into my way of life. The training I received (mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually) is unmatched and thus far prepared me well for many of life’s most unpredictable challenges. Virtues such as honesty, loyalty, integrity, etc. are the benchmarks for which I place great value and I own. Norwich strengthened those characteristics in me and taught me to honor and foster those qualities, and to impart and grow them in others. Moreover, I imagine the other 9 American academies you chose for your top 10 list fosters that same approach.
In summary, great job and great article. Thank you for a wonderful overview of the TOP 10 most PRESTIGIOUS MILITARY ACADEMIES and INSTITUTIONS in AMERICA.
ESSAYONS.
ESSAYONS!
Class of 1987
N.U.C.C.
Well said Tobi…. NU82
Maybe I’m incorrect, but I think Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnical Institute) has a cadet corps of less than 800…and is a lot younger than most of the schools on the list (1950’s?).
As for Randolph…did you ever think that the reason that schools like A&M, The Citadel, VMI, North Georgia (all SMC’s), etc. can’t commission every cadet is that they’re capped by law?
Each school has a cap set by the respective services Cadet Commands (ALL ROTC programs) which cumulatively adds up to the total accession numbers given by DoD per branch.
@David, Yes you would be incorrect. The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets had over 1000 cadets this year. The university itself was a military school (all Corps) that opened in 1872.
I believe 1872 is far before your stated 1950. Like Texas A&M it went optional in 1964.
The VTCC has 7 Medal of Honor recipients (because we learned in the Corps that you don’t WIN a Medal of Honor, it is something you earn due to service and sacrifice)
Their awards run from the Philippine Insurrection and Spanish-American war, WWI and WWII to Korea.
Our Corps admitted women in 1973, had the first female company commander of an integrated company by 1979 and first regimental CO by 1987.
Our graduates have been Generals, Business leaders, authors, put men on the moon and taught children to read.
Despite being smaller in size, this year VT commissioned over 125 of its senior graduating class. It looked like Texas A&M commissioned 80 graduates.
Over all I would say the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has a pretty good program.
For years, VMI has been seen as the racist, sexist school. It. Is. Not. My family has gone their for generations, and all have served, except for one. My dad. He went, and he blew out his knee, and tore his ACL. 8 times. So, he was deemed unable to go to war. Now, he is a millionaire defense contractor with the government. While it takes people to their limits, it benefits them in the long run. You swim in a pit, full of sewage, and dead pig entrails, and gutted animals, or you did in his time at least. So, you may think I’m crazy wanting to go there, considering the fact I’m a girl. Yes, I wear makeup, and wear heels, and straighten my hair, but it doesnt change the fact that I plan on carrying my family legacy. I’ve been a spoiled brat, and I may not last a day, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to try.
Did you consider the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets in your analysis? ESPN did some great work last night sharing all of their military tradition during the VT/FSU game in honor of Veteran’s Day weekend. (great game, btw) They said their Corps has over 1,000 cadets. Maybe they did not hit the minimum military institution enrollment for your consideration with their great academic reputation. Just checking… Great list!
TAMU is the only university outside of the U.S. Service Academies that holds the honor of having a U.S. President (Roosevelt) review officers on Simpson Drill Field for selection into duty.
TAMU in the #3 slot on this list is just about perfect. However, West Point should be #1.
My family has graduates from TAMU and VFMAC and one at West Point. Whoop! and HOOAH!
Lee
1.Thanks for your service.
2.As a ’73 grad and retiree from the top institution I applaud your bias.
3.I agree that the Army Mule is an more or less equal competitor.
4.What other school commissions directly into Marine Corps, Seal, Navy Line, Naval/Marine Aviation,
Nuclear Power, Surface and Submarine, USNA grads have options for which others only dream.
5.Semper Fi from my Marine Son ’04 and BZ from my Navy son ’01.
West Point is tougher than any school on the list.
I have never seen any cadets at Navy undergo the intense training that a West Point cadet undergoes.
What other school has Rangers, Black Ops, Army Aviation, Stryker and the list goes on…
Navy grads keep dreaming!
HOOAH Go Army!
Dear Mr. Standberry:
Interesting fact about military school graduates—they tend to be combative. You’re a brave man for stirring this pot and your interest in the heritage and tradition of military institutions is sincerely appreciated.
Essayons,
Christopher M. Halleron
Norwich University ’96
There is certainly a lot of passion from many graduates/alumni concerning their respective schools. I can only imagine the comments i’ll receive from veterans whenever my ‘toughest military specialty schools’ is published. Semper Fi Marine Force Recon!
🙂
FYI…Larry Fitzgerald only graduated from the Academy (high school), not the College. And since your list is more geared towards the college aspect of Valley Forge, he probably shouldn’t be considered college alumni.
A noteworthy alumni is Wes Moore (graduated from the Academy and College, actually) who is a Rhodes Scholar, Author and more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Moore
Your write up about the school was fine (the entire article was a nice read) but I just wanted to point out a minor flaw in your alumni selections.
Semper Fi!
I believe VFMAC refers to their graduated students as “alumni”.
No reference to College, Academy or Prep.
Just alumni.
It covers all of the categories.
On a personal note, I wish a more appropriate photo could have been used for Norwich University! The photo used is of the new “Wise Campus Center”, which replaced the old Mess Hall, “Harmon Hall”.
A more appropriate photo would have been one of “Jackman Hall”, the main administration building on the upper parade ground!
Norwich Forever!
ESSAYONS
Under Norwich University it says that “the majority of the student body comprises the schools corps of cadets.” However, as a current senior civilian student at Norwich I know for a fact that this is false. True, 10 years ago, or maybe even my freshman year this was true, but as time has gone on, they keep admitting more and more students (both corps and civilian) and the school is now basically tied for the number of enrolled students within the two life styles.
School year 2011/2012 finds the following number of students, approximately 2,300 cadets, civilian residents, and commuters attend Norwich University, along with about 1,200 online graduate students.
Of those students, the total size of the “Corps of Cadets” now stands at just over 1,500!
Corps of Cadets = 1500
civilian residents, and commuters = 800
Norwich University, (The Military College of Vermont), still is, (and will always remain), a Military School!
ESSAYONS
Alumnus, N.U.C.C. Class of 1987
They tried ESSAYONS but the French speakers scoffed the silly translations for cultural reasons among others. Try to sound fancy and fail.
Also Valley Forge admitted women into the college around 2007. Cadets do not mostly run the Corps there. I barely had any say so when I was a Battalion Commander there. It is predominately run by the Tacs. They want the Corps to run the Corps but it is just never going to happen with the current mess there. There was only around 598 cadets back in 2010 and over 300 of those were in the college. Now there are barley 400. VF is also not the only junior college to offer ECP. However it still is a great school and I’m proud to be an alumnus.
Hey, I have news for you, VFMA has been admitting women to the college alot long than 2007. The first in the college was in 1975 the year before I graduated.
Hate to break it to you but here is an excerpt from a news article about females and VF. Also I was in the 2009-2010 class of females that entered VF.
“First-Ever Female Cadets Graduate From Valley Forge
Fox News (Philadelphia) ^ | 05/18/2008 | Bruce Gordon
Posted on Sun May 18 2008 08:43:49 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) by Kid Shelleen
Women at war. That’s the headline from Valley Forge Military College, where Friday, the 73-year-old institution graduated its first-ever female cadets. Among them-the first woman at Valley Forge to earn her commission as a Second Lieutenant.
Glance briefly at the 57 cadets graduating from Valley Forge and you might have missed them–seven young women- the first females ever to earn their associates degrees from this venerable institution
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxphilly.com …”
Stefani: the first females at VFMA were Susan I. Briggs from Havertown, PA 1975 year book and June Robins of King of Prussia, PA same year.
They were truely the first females enrolled at VF. They didn’t have uniforms nor were they commissioned.
In 1976 Jo Ann Dattalo from Meadowbrook, PA was the “First girl to be enrolled in ROTC program.”
2013s:
The article may say the First women to graduate from VF may be true, but reread my statement. The first women to enroll at VF was in 1975. The first woman to enroll in VF ROTC program was in 1976.
Here is another article. And it was 2006 when they entered instead of 2007. (had to correct myself there)
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6147821
VFMAC has three different categories for students
1. Prep / Boarding School, grades 7-12
2. College/ROTC Fast Track
3. U.S. Services Academy Preparation known as Civil Prep.
Females attending VFMAC as Civil Prep began four years ago. The first female to attend as a Prep went to the Air Force Academy, 2008. The second female to attend as a Prep went to the Naval Academy 2009. The third female to attend as a Prep went to West Point 2010. Once the third female signed on, three others followed for 2010 and three are still at West Point.
Well I hate to burst your bubble about woman at VFMA, but two young women were enrolled in the Jr college in the fall of 1973 and graduated around 1975. They didn’t wear uniforms or live on campus, as they were called “day students” Their pictures are shown along with their names in the Fall 1973 “The Forge”, the schools alumni magazine.
Good news! My bubble did not burst.
You are correct about the women at Valley Forge enrolled in the Junior College.
However, there is a separate program that did not exist in 1973 or 1975.
The Junior College as you know it is now what I stated as option 2: “Fast Track”, where an individual stays at Valley Forge until graduation and is commissioned.
Option 3 the Prepster program is for young men and women who live and study at Valley Forge for one year and then enter the academy. The prepsters have Congressional nominations and appointments to a service academy. The fast track / Junior College students do not proceed to an academy for four years.
Women did not enter West Point until 1976, with the first female graduating in 1980. Valley Forge did not accept female prepsters for the academies until 2008.
I hope this is a clearer understanding.
“Life for the Corps of Cadets is pretty similar to cadet life elsewhere. Typically, cadets have physical training twice a day, along with drills, leadership training and, of course, their normal academic classes. Cadets are expected to stand regular formations and they march to all meals. Cadets are required to live on campus and are only permitted to go out on weekends (though they must return to the campus at specified times). In addition, a cadet be married.
Unlike the service academies, however, cadets, while required to participate in seven years of ROTC training, are not required to enter the military upon graduation, though they are offered commissions in the armed forces (and about 40% accept). ”
We only go through 4 years of ROTC classes. Upperclass only march to breakfast and dinner. Cadets cannot be married. You have to go through a tough selection process to even be considered eligible for a commission. Only about 30% go into the military after graduation.
Valley Forge is not the only military junior college to offer ECP. They have allowed women into the college since around 2007. The cadets do NOT run the Corps. It is mostly Tac run. I barely had any say when I was Battalion Commander. The size of the Corps has not been 600 since 2010-2011. There are barely 400 now.
And Texas A&M has a little over 2250 not over 2300. I just checked.
Brig. General Ramirez stated to me “The Corps at Texas A&M is now comprised of almost 2,300 cadets.” Which i quoted as “over 2300”. To be absolutely accurate, he said ‘almost’ which would account for the exact number of 2250. But who’s being picky, right?
The “in addition, a cadet be married” is a typo as the word ‘cannot’ should have been included. The rest of the information that i listed – again – came from the institution in question. I didn’t just make the stuff up off the top of my head. Valley Forge, for example, characterizes its Corp of Cadets as an autonomous student body (whether that’s actually the case or not). Still, thanks for the time to point this stuff out.
I’m just a stickler for specifics. I wouldn’t just take the administration’s word for it next time. I would like to ask where you got 7 years of ROTC from?
I have to hang my head on that one – that doesn’t even make sense on the face of it and i just checked my original draft and its there too (so i can’t blame it on the editor or something – 🙂 ) Its just a typo – should be 4 years. Surprised I missed that one. its pretty obviously a mistake.
This list is bs. It says Texas A&M’s ” corps of cadets is the largest in the country (with exception of the service academies), numbering about 1,887 cadets” but clearly states The Citadel has over 2,000 cadets. If the facts can’t line up then this list holds no weight.
There is also a copious amount of wrong information presented here.
The problem, as i’ve discovered since writing this list is that a lot of the information that i depended on is derived from the institution themselves. Unfortunately, it has become apparent that some institutions are not beyond using terms that are not wholly accurate. That said, I should have double checked some of these facts from secondary sources, so that’s a error on my part. So if you see something that is in error, just point it out. Thanks for reading.
“Both of these groups attend evening classes and are separated from the main body of students.” – Only civilians are separated from cadets. Veterans and current enlisted personnel attend classes with the Corps.
“The Citadel has the distinction of maintaining the largest Corps of Cadets outside of the service academies.” – Both el Cid and Texas A&M cannot hold this title, has to be one or the other.
“Cadets are expected to stand regular formations and they march to all meals.” – Upperclass do not march to dinner.
“Cadets are required to live on campus and are only permitted to go out on weekends (though they must return to the campus at specified times). In addition, a cadet be married.” – We are allowed to leave during the week. Seniors have leave on Tuesday and Dean’s List/Gold Stars can leave on Wednesday. Cadets are NOT allowed to be married.
“Unlike the service academies, however, cadets, while required to participate in seven years of ROTC training, are not required to enter the military upon graduation, though they are offered commissions in the armed forces (and about 40% accept)” – We go through 4 years of ROTC classes. You have to go through a selection process to even be considered for a commission and even then few get one. Most cadets have received a 4 year scholarship before they show up here. Only about 30% go on to the military after graduation.
Also Valley Forge admitted women into the college around 2007. Cadets do not mostly run the Corps there. I barely had any say so when I was a Battalion Commander there. It is predominately run by the Tacs. They want the Corps to run the Corps but it is just never going to happen with the current mess there. There was only around 598 cadets back in 2010 and over 300 of those were in the college. Now there are barley 400. VF is also not the only junior college to offer ECP. However it still is a great school and I’m proud to be an alumnus.
And, I should point, some info has just changed over time.
Texas A&M’s corp of cadet currently numbers over 2300
I assume you like to throw your babies out with the bath water, yes?
Oh clearly….
What about the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech?
Hi. How do I get in touch with the author, Lee Standberry? I can’t find an email address anywhere on the site.
Why in the hell is A&M in front of USAFA? Are you serious? Is it because it’s older? Older is not better. I can stand the other 2 being in front of USAFA, but A&M? What the hell are you smoking?
I wouldn’t exactly consider TAMU ‘better’ than the USAFA, but in relative terms the Air Force Academy is a lot younger. TAMU, as a result has a longer track record of providing armed forces officers, which is something I kept in mind for the criteria for this list. It’s not a slight on USAFA at all – all of these schools offer great educational and leadership training.
Nothing to do with age… USAFA is getting way to political… and has lost some of it’s focus IMO… private institutions don’t have to deal with the corrupt political appointment process…
@ Randolph Duke The majority of cadets are enrolled in ROTC because as a SMC all freshman and sophomores must be enrolled. 2016 has 800+, 2015 has 700+, and I personally know that there are 145 cadets from 2014 enrolled in Army ROTC. Im not sure on the numbers from 2013.
Also those “fake” cadets are still leaders, whether they are enrolled in ROTC or not. They hold leadership positions in the Corps and in student organizations. They are required to take leadership classes and they graduate with a leadership certificate. I know plenty of great cadets that are considered “drill and ceremony” cadets, who are brigade sergeants major and commanders.
Also when you said that Texas cadets arent fake. Texas has ROTC programs, meaning that the cadets are seeking commissions, however according to the texas army rotc page says that you can join without a scholarship. Also they arent considered a SMC meaning that they dont have a Corps of Cadets. Your argument is flawed because you are trying to compare an ROTC program with a Corps of Cadets. The Corps and ROTC are not the same by any means. Norwich has a Corps of Cadets, but they also have cadets that dont commission.
To the author: you were not kidding when you admitted to “a slight bias with this selection” in your choice of the number one military school. West Point offers 45 academic majors and though Navy may have 45 Rhodes Scholars, West Point has 87 Rhodes Scholars, ranking fourth behind Harvard, Yale and Princeton. 74 Medal of Honor recipients graduated from West Point. Three graduates went to the moon. West Point also welcomed the first cadet of African American descent, Henry Flipper, in 1873, 72 years before Navy. West Point also boasts three Heisman Trophy recipients to Navy’s two. GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!
@carol – yep, the product of being a Marine I’m afraid. That said, I wouldn’t take anything away from West Point at all – its a very fine institution that produces top notch dog face officers. 🙂
Carol- You have to have had a son or daughter that went to West Point… USMA parents are always the first to take up for us and defend us. Thank you for everything you (West Point parents) did while we were there. I think Army’s qualifications were slighted a little bit myself- thank you for helping us out with that one.
TAMU may have sent more officers to serve in WW2 than est point or Annapolis, but only because at the time TAMU was hosting an Officer Candidate School. The overwhelming majority of the officers TAMU claims from WW2 were 90 day wonders, not 4 year commissioned officers. And, while TAMU sent more officers to serve in WW2 than did West Point or Annapolis, is sent less than Notre Dame or Michigan State which also hosted OCS 90 day wonder programs but did so on a larger scale than TAMU. At the end of the day, counting the number of “cadets” at TAMU is a joke because the overwhelming majority of them are not enrolled in the ROTC program. The are just playing dress up.
Incorrect. When the war broke out, the university changed the program from a 4 year track to a 3 year track in order to meet the new demand for military officers. Many Aggies were already in the military at the time, graduates in the civilian world applied to OCS or enlisted and some students dropped out to enlist and get in the fight sooner. The 20,229 includes Aggies from classes as early as 1915 all the way to 1945. And included in the school curriculum was specific branch training which reduced the amount of training needed before deployment, so calling them ’90 day wonders’ is a flat out lie! I don’t know what your damage is, but get that stick out of your sore and sorry ass before you make more of a fool of yourself by spewing out malicious lies about a school that has done more for this country and the world than you would want to admit!
False, the overwhelming majority of them ARE enrolled in an ROTC program.
While TAMU had an OCS during WWII, those that went were trained.
As far as the “fake cadets” that you are so angry about. Even though there are many cadets that choose not to commission, they arent just playing dress up. Many of them are leaders in the Corps or in student organizations. Those cadets take leadership classes and they graduate with a leadership certificate. They do more than just wear the uniform.
Also since TAMU is a Senior Military College, ALL cadets are required to take at least 2 years of ROTC. Therefore your argument that the majority of the Corps arent enrolled in ROTC is false. The class of 2016 has 800+ cadets, all enrolled in one of the ROTC programs. The class of 2015 has 700+, all enrolled. I personally know that the class of 2014 has 145 cadets enrolled in Army ROTC, so there has to be more than 200 cadets in ROTC. I dont personally know how many cadets in the class of 2013 are enrolled in ROTC. So with a total of approx. 2200 cadets, at least 1645 are enrolled in an ROTC this school year, so once again your argument of “At the end of the day, counting the number of “cadets” at TAMU is a joke because the overwhelming majority of them are not enrolled in the ROTC program.” is false.
And as for saying “the difference is that Texas doesn’t have fake corps members wearing uniforms but not going through ROTC training” Texas isnt a Senior military college, so they dont have a Corps of Cadets. However, according to http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/arotc/general/FAQ.php, anyone can join ROTC, regardless of a scholarship. You cant compare a SMC’s Corps of Cadets to a regular universities ROTC program because a Corps of Cadets is not the same as ROTC, the two are not the same.
You have got to be kidding. Texas A&M ranked higher than USAFA, USCGA, VMI and Citadel!?!?! TAMU graduates less than 200 ROTC members a year. While its Corps of Cadets numbers some 1850 (give or take) approximately only 42% of those “cadets” are active in ROTC training. The rest are “fake Army” and are just playing dress up. Are ANY members at USAFA just playing dress up and not on their way to a commission?
TAMU and its Corps of Cadets are running jokes in the State of Texas. We will add this article to the list of running jokes. TAMU is NOT a military academy. It is a university with an ROTC program.
…jealous mjch????
Since when is 42% of 1850, 200? And you are mistaken. TAMU has 4 branches, not just Army. I think you are getting us mixed up with university of texas’s ROTC program. 7 Medals of Honor, 14,123 officers in WWII (thats more than West Point and the USNA) Get over yourself, take your whining to someone else. There is more to being a Cadet at TAMU than playing dress up. It’s funny that you seem so angry about us being higher than the USAFA. It’s ok man, be mad, we do more than you think we do, and we dont need your approval.
200 a year for 4 years would be 800. of the 1800 “cadets” in the Corps at TAMU, about 800 of them are actually destined to be commissioned. 800 is somewhere around 42% of 1800. I guess one of the things they don’t teach at TAMU is math, because the numbers i just gave you aren’t all that complicated.
The officers TAMU put out during WW2 were overwhelmingly 90 wonders than went through the OCS program. Comparing 90 wonders to 4 year commissioned officers and claiming superiority to the academies is just another of the lies TAMU graduates throw around to give themselves some sense of self importance. Notre Dame and Michigan State both put out more officers during WW2 because their OCS programs were larger than that at TAMU.
And for the record, while TAMU puts out between 175 and 200 officers a year through their ROTC program, Texas puts out between 120 and 140 on average. TAMU isn’t all that far ahead of Texas and, as a percentage of the student body, the two schools have practically identical ROTC programs. the difference is that Texas doesn’t have fake corps members wearing uniforms but not going through ROTC training.
There are 4 ROTC programs at TAMU, Army itself produces at least 100 per year, so your numbers are flawed. TAMU produces more officers than any other school every year, so despite what you may think, TAMU is obviously doing something right. Also where are you getting 90 officers from WWII? TAMU put out more officers that were in WWII, also many students dropped out of TAMU to enlist for WWII. 14, 123 to be exact as I stated above, ranging from 2nd LT to Generals.
As far as your comment about fake Corps Members, I ask you, what is fake about them? They dont commission, but they are leaders in their own rights. Several are company commanders, brigade, wing, or regiment commanders, or company first sergeants of brigade sergeants major. Many are leaders in student organizations. They take leadership classes and graduate with a leadership certificate. They go through the same Corps experience as those that choose to commission, they are also required to take at least 2 years of ROTC. The Corps of Cadets and ROTC are not the same thing.
Also I like that you are angry about “fake cadets” at TAMU, but ALL SMCs have cadets in their Corps that dont commission. Norwich doesnt commission all of its members in their Corps, so are they fake cadets as well? Be as mad as you want, statistically TAMU is one of the best SMCs and its Corps is considersed one of the best.
Also your arguement about 42% in ROTC is flawed. EVERY freshman and sophomore in the Corps participates in ROTC. They choose to participate in ROTC after they become juniors. I know right now there are 145 cadets from the class of 2014 that are in Army ROTC, so there are more than 200 people in ROTC overall from the class of 2014. as for 2016, there are 800+ cadets in ROTC, and for 2015 there are 700+ cadets. So at all times, there are more Cadets participating in ROTC than those “fake” cadets.
Actually, Mr. Duke’s numbers aren’t so off base. According to the strength report on CMS, last updated today (10/21/12): 158/409 seniors are contract (39%), 261/524 juniors (50%), and of course, all the black belts 1293/1293 for a total of 1712/2226 (77%) of all cadets being involved with the ROTC, but only 45% when you look at the 933 junior and senior cadets (the one’s who have the option to not participate in ROTC). One thing that these numbers probably don’t account for is our prior/currently enlisted cadets (18 in D Co plus a few scattered about other outfits) and people contracted outside of the ROTC program (such as PLC Marine contracts) of which I know that there are a fair number, but don’t know if there’s any compiled data on the subject.
It’s my impression that Corps of Cadets in general tend to be more intensive than ROTC programs. The Aggie Corps requires living in Corps dorms (with a few exceptions, there are currently 30 day cadets), which ensures that you’re dealing with informal Corps training almost 24 hours/day, doing outfit training at least 6 times/week, marching into morning and evening chow, wearing a uniform whenever in academic buildings, march-ins and attendance to all home football games (part of acting as Keepers of the Spirit), taking military training and leadership classed every semester (on top of your normal courses), all in addition to any training/FTXs/briefs that a cadet’s ROTC may do. Yes, we may have fewer people going directly on to be officers in the military, but our training is far from fake and far from a joke.
Actually, “Mr. Duke’s” comments are completely off base when you actually know how the accession and commission process works.
DoD caps each service on how many they are allowed to commission each year as Lieutenants/Ensigns. Across the services, they are then divided into three categories:
-Service Academies (33-35%)
-ROTC (55-60%)
-OCS/PLC (remainder)
The service academies’ class sizes are set in order to accommodate their piece of the pie. The “ROTC” numbers equal the TOTAL NUMBER OF ROTC ACCESSIONS ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS.
What does this mean? Let’s say that in any one year, the Army is allowed to commission 3,000 Lieutenants. Here’s how this would break down:
West Point Seniors: 1,000 (33%)
ROTC: 1,850 (62%)
OCS/Direct Commission: 150 (5%)
That 1,850 is then spread out across every ROTC program in the country, to include universities in U.S. territories. Let’s say that between December – August of any year group commissioning that A&M commissions 65 Army 2LTs. That’s just over 3.5% of THE ENTIRE ROTC ALLOCATION. Let’s then assume that these numbers are similar (55-65) across every senior military college. That’s an aggregate of about 360 2LTs out of 1,850. That would then mean that, of the entire nationwide allocation of ROTC contracts (Active, Reserve, and Guard – oh, did I forget to mention that only ROTC programs and direct commissions supply Guard and Reserve Officers?), the six Senior Military Colleges produce almost 20%. That means the remaining umpteen ROTC programs combined produce 80%. If you assume about 400-500 other programs at the minimum, and that there’s an EQUAL allocation, (which we know that isn’t the case) you would then assume that every other school gets 3-5 slots per year…or less than 8% of what A&M produces.
That’s a pretty harsh assessment
Duke is notorious for trolling the Internet to find ways to insult Texas A&M. He’s a backer of all things burnt orange who spends most of his time on ShaggyBevo (the Texas football fan site) stirring up the base.
He’s upset that Texas A&M got into the SEC and Texas wasn’t invited.
The majority of cadets are enrolled in ROTC because as a SMC all freshman and sophomores must be enrolled. 2016 has 800+, 2015 has 700+, and I personally know that there are 145 cadets from 2014 enrolled in Army ROTC. Im not sure on the numbers from 2013.
Also those “fake” cadets are still leaders, whether they are enrolled in ROTC or not. They hold leadership positions in the Corps and in student organizations. They are required to take leadership classes and they graduate with a leadership certificate. I know plenty of great cadets that are considered “drill and ceremony” cadets, who are brigade sergeants major and commanders.
Also when you said that Texas cadets arent fake. Texas has ROTC programs, meaning that the cadets are seeking commissions, however according to the texas army rotc page says that you can join without a scholarship. Also they arent considered a SMC meaning that they dont have a Corps of Cadets. Your argument is flawed because you are trying to compare an ROTC program with a Corps of Cadets. The Corps and ROTC are not the same by any means. Norwich has a Corps of Cadets, but they also have cadets that dont commission.
Duke, that conspicuous chip on your shoulder is affecting your judgment. I’m not sure where it comes from, but you clearly don’t know much about TAMU. The stats are the stats, but most of what matters about TAMU can’t be reduced to statistics. I was commissioned thru USAF ROTC TAMU. Someone mentioned TAMU has girls. Amen. There is no greater recruiting attraction for young men between 18 and 22. My wife of 28 years (and still smokin’ hot) was 18 yrs old when I met her at TAMU. My brother went to USAFA. My son went to USAFA (b/c he was too small to play offensive line at TAMU). None of us are still in the military. But, my cousin attended that military powerhouse of S.W Texas State Univ., where he lived a life of sloppy hedonistic civilian leisure (and no doubt had a boatload of fun). He attended the USAF 90-day wonder program, became an officer and is now a Brig. Gen. commanding an F-15 Wing. So, my vote for best Military College goes to SWTS. What time proves is that its the man (or woman), not the school, defines military skill.
Randolph Duke has issues. He spends countless hours scouring the Internet for anything related to Texas A&M so he can find something negative or trash the comments section. He takes obsession to new heights. Kathy Bates character in Misery doesn’t even come close to his obsession level. Editing wiki pages, digging through website after website for information about the origin of the 12th Man, or anything else Aggie related in order to find ways to discredit TAMU. Dude needs to be in a psych ward, stat. If you know him personally, please get him professional help.
“Valley Forge is also the only military school in the nation that maintains a mounted battalion…” as a member of Parsons Mounted Cavalry at Texas A&M, I’m going to have to question that one.
I suppose technically, PMC is not a battalion, as it is a good bit smaller than 300 members, but I assume the battalions at Valley Forge are also pretty small, given that they only have 600 students and 3 battalions. Parsons has nearly 50 cadets from units across the Corps who regularly train with over 40 horses. We also maintain an artillery half section with 6 inch field gun, limber, and support wagon. We do mounted drill and maneuvers, saber drill, and recently started mounted shooting. We ride in to every game that the Corps marches in to and fire the cannons at the game when the Aggies score.
While this article is informative, I am afraid you got some facts about Texas A&M incorrect and left out some others. The university ,then known as Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, was established in 1876, not 1871, meaning that Aggies have been fighting since 1880. The current size of the Corps of Cadets is over 2200 right now, consisting of 3 Brigades, soon to be 3 Wings and Regiments (within 1 year), Corps Staff, and the Band. And I am shocked that you left out our 7 Medal of Honor recipients! While the rest is still good, I feel obligated to chide you for not researching my university of choice very well.
The legislative act that established the school was passed in 1871, but instruction didn’t begin until 1876; which is the date i opted for. And the composition of the Corps has changed since I originally wrote the list, so you are correct about that.
yes TAM is big and “old” but… Norwich was founded in 1819 by the former west point super that said west point was unconstitutional… long story…
There are several famous Ags that were left out of there. Robert Gates, while the former university president, didn’t graduate from A&M. The following, however, are former students of Texas A&M:
-Von Miller (Linebacker for the Denver Broncos)
-Ryan Tannehill (starting QB for the Miami Dolphins)
-Gene Stallings
-Stacey Sykora (U.S. Olympic volleyball team libero until 2008)
-GEN Patrick Gamble
-GEN Hal Hornberg
-LTG James Hollingsworth
-LTG Bernard Schriever (whom the AFB in Colorado Springs is named after)
-Neal Boortz
-Roland Martin (CNN)
-Roger Creager
-Robert Earl Keen
-Lyle Lovett
-Lowery Mays (Founder of Clear Channel Communications)
-H.B. Zachry (Founder of Zachry construction)
-Mike Fossum (Astronaut)
-Red Duke (Surgeon)
etc.
Tannahill isnt that good honestly…
Look TAM is a great school and huge but your list is mostly civilians… you must have more military distinguished grads I would think…
I’m a grad from VFMA (high school). Great school.
General Scwartzkoff grad from there and West Point.
General M. Linnington my roommate at VF also grad from West Point and was the commandant of cadets at West Point. I believe he is now on Gen Petrais (sp) staff in Afgan.
Go VFMA class of 76′
Immediate past CNO Gary Roughouse is also a Valley Forge graduate. Gen Yoesock who commanded ground troops under Stormin Norman was also a VF graduate.
It’s good to see Valley Forge included in such stellar company!
Buck58D
Besides those already mentioned VFMA also graduated former Senator Warren Rudman-NH, Former Puerto Rico Gov.Rafael Colon, Author JD Salinger, Simeon Rylski, Former PM of Bulgaria, and countless other sport, business, and political leaders. Not bad for a school started in 1928 by a then Major in the Pennsylvania National Guard Milton Baker. Our Motto? ”
Courage, Honor, Conquer”
If you ever get a chance, attend a church service in the Chapel named St Cornelius the Centurion where each Sunday they read the names of those Alumni .” . . . “…who gave their lives for the right to be called Americans…” It is quite moving.
Keith Stanton
Class of 69
General Marshall and Stonewall Jackson were from VMI. Thank you.
Not so much overlooked as I could only select 10 and there are a lot of good choices, including North Georgia. I’m sure alumni from the schools listed could pose a counter argument for you 🙂 . But i do agree, that your school has an excellent military educational program.
Here are the stats from LDAC comparing the senior military colleges and their successes. You can see that North Georgia gave Norwich, Texas A&M, VMI and The Citadel a run for their money. But I suppose it can remain a little known gem. 🙂
http://www.northgeorgia.edu/uploadedFiles/Enrollment/Cadet_Admissions/LDAC%20Comparison%20Aug%202010.pdf
North Georgia might be a great school, but it’s Corps is relatively small and it only offers Army ROTC. TAMU’s numbers are over 2,000 this year and it hosts all four branches of the military. It also had more officers in WWII than any other school, including West Point and the Naval Academy. 6 Medal of Honor winners from WWII, a friendly student body, ranked high nationally in academics. A Military College isnt just about the Army. Education plays a factor as well.
7 Medal of Honor recipients, I apologize for the mistake.
Also how many cadets, on average go to LDAC from North Georgia? Im not trying to diss them, I’m legitimately asking. I see you have 20+% overall E’s, but if there is a low number of cadets going, then getting higher percentage of E’s is implied. Think about it, lets say you guys have 20% get E’s, well if you only send 60 people, that is 12 out of 60, whereas TAMU might send 100, 15% of 100 is 15, so we still have more E’s than you. http://www.northgeorgia.edu/NorthGeorgiaNews/articles.aspx?id=4294980992 says 78, so that means 9 people got E’s whereas TAMU will send at least 114 from my class, so 15% of that is 17.
You have also overlooked North Georgia College and State University which hosts the Military College of Georgia. Their Corps of Cadets is around 800. They are one of the top Army ROTC programs in the nation and are also a senior military college. I would argue that their program is hands above some of the military schools listed in this article.
I really enjoyed reading this list but I would like to correct one really small detail. We’re called Merchant Mariners not Merchant “Marines.” Last week I was wearing my Merchant Marine hoodie in the grocery store and the cashier asked “what’s the difference between the Merchant Marines and regular Marines?” I told him “regular Marines kill people on purpose, we kill them on accident.”
Also, I’m a Coast Guard veteran and it’s nice to see them listed as well, we often get left out.
Its unfortunate that the Merchant Marines and the Coast Guard are often excluded from the conversations regarding the contributions of the military to national security. While not a military formation per se, the merchant marine plays a vital role in the ability of the regular forces to do their jobs. And the coast guard – well, you can’t say enough about the incredible job those men and women perform everyday. It’s not all search and rescue stuff – this is i know and appreciate. Love the comment too! Thanks!
Quick note, Dr. Gates was president of Texas A&M University—not a graduate from there (though he may have an honorary degree from there by now). Aggies gladly claim him, but wanted to make sure you had the factoid. If you’re looking for a couple of famous alumni from the University, you could add singer Lyle Lovett or Commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion James Earl Rudder (led the Rangers up Point du Hoc on D-Day).
Interesting tidbit, Grant was the equivalent of a 6 star general, as he commanded all ground AND naval forces. The only other person comparable to that is Washington. Also, alumni under West Point could be “Basically every general in the Civil War”.
I must respectfully disagree. General Grant was “Commanding General of the United States Army”. Given the size and composition of the Army at the time, I could see an argument for five star rank, but not six. He did not command the Naval Forces. At the beginning of the Civil War the highest Navy Rank was Captain. The quiet and reliable David G. Farragut was the Navy’s first flag officer and more followed. Charles Wilkes, John Dahlgren, Samuel Phillips Lee and the self-promoting David Dixon Porter. The Secretary of the Navy, while a capable man, was not a brilliant strategist. Neither were his admirals. That task fell to Abraham Lincoln, a man who at the outset of the war admitted to knowing little about ships.
Disappointed by the lethargy of his senior naval officers on the scene, he stepped in and personally directed an amphibious assault on the Virginia coast, a successful operation that led to the capture of Norfolk. The man who knew “but little of ships” had transformed himself into one of the greatest naval strategists of his age.
Fascinating article. I only heard of Norwich through the internet ads for its online programs. Did not know of its distinguished history.
Also didn’t know that Texas A&M was a service academy.
As for #1, I was an enlisted sailor in the Navy years ago. When I was going through what they called ‘power school’ back when there was a base in Orlando, Florida, I along with about 7 other students applied for the ‘BOOST’ program. It was a program designed for those who did not have a strong academic program, but wanted to apply to the Naval Academy. After going through the ‘BOOST’ program you were guaranteed a slot in the Academy. I for some reason decided not to go forward with the application, much to my regret to this day. All of the other guys ended up being accepted (don’t know how they did). Did my 6 years and got out.
I think another interesting topic would be top 10 hardest military training programs/schools in America (as in specialized schools and training such as Airborne school and the like, not boot camp/basic training).
I actually thought special training schools is what toptenz was asking for until the boss clarified what he was looking for. I agree, however, that that would be an interesting list – especially with America’s emphasis on special operation forces these days. I also like the idea of doing a list on the top international military academies. What does the Webmaster think about this?
Texas A&M isnt a service acadamy, however it is a Senior Military College, meaning it has a Corps of Cadets. There are 6 SMCs.
Norwich is the birthplace of ROTC with lots of history and only recently has branched out to other areas with civilians on campus etc… Texas A&M is a great school also that has always had civilians I think and the corps is but a part of the school I think…
The Naval Academy is,of course, number 1. And if you want to talk about rank, Fleet Admiral Nimitz outranked Eisenhower, Marshall and MacArthur. That’s just the way it was.
Once again our esteemed author/former Marine missed the point. The point was that GEN Patton never attained a five star rank. Additionally, Fleet Admiral Nimitz (date of rank 19 Dec 1944)did NOT outrank Marshall (date of rank 16 Dec 1944)or MacArthur (date of rank 18 Dec 1944). He did outrank Eisenhower (date of rank 20 Dec 1944). Fleet Admiral Leahy was the senior if the five stars with a date of rank of 15 Dec 1944. However, before you begin patting yourself on the back, it should be noted that General of the Armies (notice the plural) John J. Pershing was still alive at this time. Secretary of War Henry Stimson stated, “It appears the intent of the Army was to make the General of the Armies senior in grade to the General of the Army. I have advised Congress that the War Department concurs in such proposed action.” Section 7, Public Law 78-482 put that into law. So, other than George Washington, who was awarded the rank of General of the Armies during the Bicentennial, the senior military man in the history of the United States was, drum roll please, an Army Officer!
I still love the Marines though.
Bravo! and i love the Army dogfaces as well! lol
There is an obvious bias from our former Marine. As a retired Army Officer, I will admit to a bias towards West Point. However, based on the history, alumni and traditions West Point has to rank number one. Also, our author has shown his lack of knowledge of Army history. George S. Patton, Jr. attained the rank of General (four stars) prior to his death. There were only five Army five stars; Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gearge C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Omar N. Brdley and Henry H. Arnold (Redesignated as General of the Air Force 7 May 1949). But a good list nonetheless.
You are correct sir – however, that was a typo on my part and not a historical knowledge error. Could catch.
There were six Army five stars; On January 19, 1976, Washington was posthumously promoted to five stars and General of the Armies of the United StatesThe resolution stated that Washington’s seniority had rank and precedence over all other grades of the Armed Forces, past or present, effectively making Washington the highest ranked U.S. officer of all time.
A slight correction Mr. Burke. Genral Washington was not promoted to five star rank via that proclamation but was that, “… the grade of General of the Armies of the United States is established, such grade to have rank and precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present.” As the five star rank is titled “General of the Army” it was generally assumed that this meant that General Washington would hold “six star” rank. However no formal insignia was designated. One other general did hold the title of “General of the Armies” and that was John J. Pershing. By order of rank and precedence he outranked all of the WWII five stars although he never wore more than four. His proposed insignia was four gold stars and, while there is a portrait showing him wearing them, there is no proof that this was actually the case.
tripe paid for by the military most likely
Yep, you found us out. Toptenz.net is funded by the military.
A top flight list. I it found very amusing, reading the remarks from a number of commentators who “skimmed” the list without reading the intro which plainly stated the list criteria. Sometimes you can’t win 😉
Even though I am a citizen of the US, I’d welcome the insight of those who might present a list of similar academies in their countries. Again a tip of the hat to the author.
Well done.
In fact, a quick Google search confirmed that the Early Commission Program is available for students at all five Military Junior Colleges
I stand corrected. I relied on information directly related to Valley Forge and it was articulated as such. A valuable lesson learned here is to verify sources. Thanks 🙂
“Valley Forge is one of only five military junior colleges and the only such junior college that offers a direct commission into the army after only two years of study (through the army’s Early Commissioning Program)”
This is incorrect….the New Mexico Military Institute is also a high school/JC that offers the Early Commissioning Program that provides a direct commission after obtaining a two-year Associates degree.
While this is easily one of the most boring lists here, it’s very well written.
I was thinking the same thing about your comment. 😉 I kid, I kid. In all seriousness, I requested this list because we have two schools here in Virginia and I know many people who attended VMI and I have friends whose children will be attending military school (on in the UK possibly) and so my interest was piqued. I agree this is a niche topic, but so are many others on this site. I’m sure military school graduates will enjoy this list.
But to be fair, here is a list most people will enjoy, an oldie, but a goodie as they say – https://www.toptenz.net/top-10-weirdest-cia-programs.php
There are actually three. VMI, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Virginia Women’s Military Institute in Staunton, VA.
Yes, but VWIL (Virginia women’s institute for leadership) students take many of their courses at VMI. VWIL was founded as an attempt to keep women out of VMI during the supreme court case against VMI, which was lost and women currently attend VMI. VWIL students, while earning the respect of many of the residents of Stanton, rarely are able to earn the respect of VMI cadets who have the most interaction with them with the exception of the students of their parent school, Mary Baldwin. Also VWIL is considered to be a ROTC program on steroids by anybody who has attended a senior military college. Ill quote a current VWIL cadet when asked why they didn’t just attend VMI they said “because I wanted to actually have a life in college” which sums up my point that any other student in a military college has a much more difficult life.
Sources: current VMI cadet, son of a VMI graduate and account of my father’s mentor while my father was a cadet, who helped found VWIL and a graduate of VMI
What about Kingston RMC? Royal Roads RMC?
Those institutions produce Officers….
What’s Canada? Chopped Liver?
Wow, does anyone read the intro paragraph? The author only included military schools in the United States. Feel free to submit a list that targets other countries.
Yes,there is the world famous French Military Academy, Battre En Retraite Précipitamment;—The academy symbol is a white flag.
What is the name of the article?
Ahem, where’s Sandhurst? This internationally recognised British Military Academy attracts students from all over the world, and is better known and respected than any American institution.
Tim, the author focused only on American military schools and said so in the introductory paragraph. If you would like to write a list on the top 10 military schools in the UK or the world, we welcome submissions.
Apologies to the author, I didn’t read the intro.
There is world outside US too. The Globe contains 196 countries, but for some people the world means USA. Show military schools of other countries too. Sooo pretty dumb article.
Please read the introduction to the list. It plainly states, “I’ve confined myself to American, post-secondary institutions…”. If you want to write a list about Non-U.S. military schools we would gladly review it for publication. You would be the first commenter who complained about a list to then write a list in response. I’m counting on you! Otherwise, read the introduction paragraph first BEFORE complaining. You will usually see criteria for the list in that opening.
You shouldnt even need to read the paragraph. THE NAME OF THE ARTICLE IS TOP 10 MILITARY SCHOOLS IN AMERICA!!!! Learn to read. If it says IN AMERICA, obviously schools outside of the United States WILL NOT BE INCLUDED. Common Sense, not so common obviously.
that Is not a pic of TAMU, they have one ugly campus!
You are correct sir! There were two West Point pics in there. But now there is only one, and a TAMU pic is in its place. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
We think our campus is beautiful. A true college campus situated basically in one block.
You put the Naval Academy ahead of West Point?!?! BLASPHEMY!!
Anchors Aweigh, my boys
Anchors Aweigh
😉
SeanP–Right On!
i fully admit that West Point is a great institution. However, Go Navy! What can you expect from a Marine?
Please look into whether Cadets and Midshipmen of the U.S. services academies are considered on ‘active duty’ while in their respective academies. I do not think they are.
USMMA midshipmen arein the US Naval Reserve, the only acadmy with a military commitment while in school
Cadets and Midshipmen at USNA, USMA, USAFA are on active duty. Ask any one of them to show you their military ID, its an active duty ID.
Hi-
I wish you guys would post the top secondary military schools of all time. I think Peacock Military Academy would be in there. Many secondary military schools closed down during and after the Viet Nam war. General Dwight David Eisenhower coached the Peacock Military Academy Kadets to a state championship during his stay at Fort Sam Houston in 1915. He remembered the school fondly even while President of the United States. He went to the game between Texas Military Institute in 1962. General Douglas MacArthur had graduated from there in 1898. Both men were in attendance at that game. It was a 100 year rivalry. Peacock was one of only five military academies to recieve a superior rating by the National Defense Cadet Corp in the 1970’s. It was founded in 1894 by Wesley Peacock in San Antonio, Texas Wesley was a graduate of the University of Georgia where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Thank you.
“Taps” was filmed at VFMAC (it was called Bunker Hill Academy in the movie). The “Carolina Military Institute” (the fictional academy in the book and movie “The Lords of Discipline”) was based on The Citadel from which the author (see Pat Conroy above) graduated. No service academy would allow filming of “The Lords of Discipline” on their grounds due to it’s unflattering portrayal of academy life in the ’60s. I highly recommend both movies as well as the book.
can females join the army too?!
My commanding officer is a female two star general. Does that answer your question? 🙂
yes but we will hate you
There was some rumor that Norwich had some influence or part in the Lords of Discipline. I was told there are no train tracks behind those schools. There is a train track behind Norwich which has a lot of meaning there and is a place where the imaginary secret groups meet from time to time….572, 683
There used to be train tracks behind The Citadel, but the line was put out of service and most of the tracks are gone. There was also a zoo in the park next to the campus.