The military academy is a type of school that has existed in the United States since 1776 with the goal of providing military education. There are three types of military academies in the United States today: secondary school military academies, higher education military academies, and the four Federal service academies.
Military academies in secondary schools are also known as military prep schools. They are often designed as boarding schools, with a focus on self-discipline, achievement, and community, with the goal of training soldiers and civic leaders. Students as young as fifth grade are accepted some.
Outside of the Federal service academies, the higher education military academy encompasses all undergraduate, graduate, and professional military programs. They cater to students who have attended a secondary military academy or a college preparatory program, but they may also require a physical fitness test as part of the admissions process. Some admissions committees require that applicants be single.
In general, higher education military academies require a standard college preparatory course for their undergraduate admissions, and the admissions process is similar to that of other colleges in many ways, but they also require a physical fitness test of some sort, and some require that applicants be unmarried. Traditional students as well as cadets who participate in military training while also attending classes make up the student population at some higher education military academies. After graduation, students may or may not be offered a commission in the military.
With a four-year B.S. degree, officers can join the armed forces at one of four federally funded service academies. The United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, is the Army’s service academy. The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is where the Navy conducts officer training. The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Officers are trained the Coast Guard at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Graduates receive a commission and are required to serve for at least five years.
The US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, New York, is also worth mentioning; while it is not a federal service academy, it does prepare shipboard officers for the US Merchant Marine, as well as the Navy and the Coast Guard.