A military school or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment. In United States, four types of military schools exist - Federal Service Academies (5 schools), Senior Military Colleges (6 schools), State-supported Maritime Colleges and Universities (6 schools), and Military Junior Colleges (4 schools).
Among these institutions, only 1 school is private, while the remaining 14 Military Colleges are public colleges and universities.
Compare and explore detailed statistics for 15 Military Colleges to find the perfect college match for your academic goals, budget, and career aspirations. Our comprehensive comparison tool provides key data including tuition costs, acceptance rates, financial aid, graduation rates, and enrollment statistics to help you make informed decisions about your higher education:
Use our detailed college comparison tables below to evaluate Military Colleges side-by-side. Compare tuition and fees, financial aid packages, admission requirements, student-to-faculty ratios, and graduation outcomes to identify the best college that matches your educational needs and budget. Start comparing colleges now to make the right choice for your future.
Here are the highest and lowest statistics among Military Colleges:
| Statistic | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees | $25,569 | Virginia Military Institute $52,638 | United States Merchant Marine Academy $895 |
| Graduate Tuition & Fees | $22,172 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University $35,092 | Maine Maritime Academy $15,335 |
| Enrollment | 10,750 students | Texas A&M University-College Station 78,321 students | Marion Military Institute 332 students |
| Acceptance Rate | 65.28% | Marion Military Institute 97.03% | Citadel Military College of South Carolina 22.72% |
| SAT Score | 1,204 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1,360 | University of North Georgia 1,100 |
| School Name | State | Degree Offered | Tuition & Fees | Average Financial Aid | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Merchant Marine Academy four-year, public | NY | Master's Bachelor's | $895 ($1,167) | $5,717 | 234% | 976 | 82% | 13 to 1 |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina four-year, public | SC | Master's Bachelor's | $38,508 ($12,570) | $14,816 | 223% | 3,793 | 75% | 11 to 1 |
| Norwich University four-year, private | VT | Master's Bachelor's | $49,740 | $39,087 | 274% | 3,149 | 60% | 13 to 1 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station four-year, public | TX | Doctorate Master's Bachelor's | $40,124 ($12,995) | $11,641 | 257% | 78,321 | 84% | 20 to 1 |
| University of North Georgia four-year, public | GA | Doctorate Master's Bachelor's Associate | $16,956 ($5,444) | $6,029 | 268% | 19,291 | 37% | 19 to 1 |
| Virginia Military Institute four-year, public | VA | Bachelor's | $52,638 ($21,046) | $19,593 | 271% | 1,527 | 76% | 9 to 1 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University four-year, public | VA | Doctorate Master's Bachelor's Associate | $37,764 ($15,948) | $10,993 | 255% | 38,857 | 86% | 17 to 1 |
| Cal Poly Maritime Academy four-year, public | CA | Master's Bachelor's | $22,159 ($9,559) | $11,318 | 295% | 837 | 60% | 11 to 1 |
| Maine Maritime Academy four-year, public | ME | Master's Bachelor's Associate | $31,102 ($15,158) | $9,332 | 254% | 971 | 58% | 10 to 1 |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy four-year, public | MA | Master's Bachelor's | $23,722 ($11,420) | $16,183 | 295% | 1,488 | 74% | 13 to 1 |
| Northwestern Michigan College four-year, public | MI | Bachelor's Associate | $13,476 ($10,722) | $5,759 | - | 3,253 | 25% | 13 to 1 |
| SUNY Maritime College four-year, public | NY | Master's Bachelor's Associate | $19,159 ($8,589) | $9,108 | 272% | 1,413 | 64% | 15 to 1 |
| Georgia Military College four-year, public | GA | Bachelor's Associate | $7,605 ($7,605) | $4,934 | - | 6,575 | 38% | 15 to 1 |
| Marion Military Institute 2-4 year, public | AL | Associate | $15,538 ($9,538) | $11,489 | 297% | 332 | 36% | 11 to 1 |
| New Mexico Military Institute 2-4 year, public | NM | Associate | $14,156 ($7,190) | $11,881 | 253% | 463 | 44% | 13 to 1 |
The United States service academies, also known as the United States military academies, are federal academies for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States Armed Forces. Five service academies exist in United States as follows.
A senior military college (SMC) is one of six colleges that offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs, though many other schools offer military Reserve Officers' Training Corps under other sections of the law. Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is the all-military state-sponsored school that enrolls only military cadets and awards BS degrees exclusively. The other five schools maintain both a corps of cadets and a civilian student body.
Students at these academies are organized as cadets, and graduate with appropriate licenses from the U.S. Coast Guard and/or U.S. Merchant Marine. While no longer immediately offered a commission as an Officer within a service have the opportunity to participate in commissioning programs. Great Lake Maritime Academy is a division of Northwestern Michigan College and Texas A&M Maritime Academy is a part of the Texas A&M University System.
A military junior college (MJC) is a military-style junior college in the United States and one of the three major categories of the Army ROTC schools that allows cadets to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army reserve components in two years, instead of the usual four, through the Early Commissioning Program (ECP). They also offer Service Academy preparatory programs that allows qualified students to earn an appointment to the U.S. Service Academies upon their successful completion of this demanding one-year program at MJC.