Military academies in the US offer education in military arts and can be divided into three types: high school, higher education, and federal service academies. Federal service academies include the US Military Academy, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy, and US Coast Guard Academy. The US Merchant Marine Academy also prepares shipboard officers.
A military academy is a type of school that has existed in the United States since 1776 for the purpose of providing an education in the military arts. The military academies in the United States today can be divided into three types: the high school military academy, the higher education military academy, and the four federal service academies.
High school military academies are also known as military preparatory schools. Often designed as boarding schools, they aim to train soldiers and civic leaders, with a focus on self-discipline, achievement, and community. Some accept students as young as fifth grade.
The military academy of higher education includes all undergraduate, graduate, and professional military programs outside of federal service academies. They aim to serve students with a secondary military academy or college preparatory training, but may also have a mandatory physical fitness test as part of the admissions process. Some require applicants for admission to be single.
In general, higher education military academies require a standard preparatory course for undergraduate admissions, and the admissions process is similar in many ways to other admissions, but they also usually require some type of physical fitness test, and some require that applicants for admission being unmarried. Some higher education military academies have a mixed student population, including traditional students as well as cadet corps who attend military training and also attend classes. Students may or may not receive a commission in the military upon graduation.
There are four federal service academies, funded by the government, to prepare officers for the armed services with a bachelor’s degree in four years. The Army’s service academy is the US Military Academy at West Point, New York. The Navy conducts officer training at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The Air Force Academy is the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. And the Coast Guard trains officers at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Graduates receive a commission and are required to have at least five years of active service.
It is also important to mention the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York, which is not a federal service academy, but prepares shipboard officers in the US Merchant Marine, as well as Navy and Coast Guard .
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