Military academies throughout the United States form the backbone of officer training programs across the U.S. Armed Forces. One sizable advantage of the US military is that it is capable of mass education of its officers through these institutions, the largest of which are capable of turning out thousands of officers each year. They each provide extensive training and a premier military education which translates to a winning position on the battlefield.
The United States Military Academy at West Point, on the Hudson River in New York State, about 50 miles from New York City, is one of the country’s largest military academies by student body in the country. Established in 1802, it has a current enrollment of roughly 4,600 cadets. West Point is known for providing a comprehensive education to cadets, which includes academic coursework, military training, and character development. It is only the fourth-largest American military academy, however. (Here’s a roster of the most famous West Point grads.)
To determine the 28 largest U.S. military academies, 24/7 Wall St. referenced Military School USA’s online database of military academies, an online directory of military academies designed to help families understand the ins and outs of military school education. We ranked these schools from smallest to largest according to their total student body, starting with schools that had enrollments of 500 or greater. We included supplemental data from Military School USA on each school’s location, type, and founding date, and whether or not the school is coeducational.
Click here to see the biggest military schools in the country.
A majority of these larger academies are on the East Coast, and in many cases are among the older schools on this list – reflecting the historical concentration of population density in the country’s eastern reaches. Three, however, are in California, the oldest of them dating from 1930 and the other two products of the early 21st century – and the largest one of all, founded in 1962, is in Galveston, Texas. (These are the oldest U.S. military academies still in operation.)
28. Fork Union Military Academy
> Student body: 500
> Founding date: 1898
> Location: Fork Union, Virginia
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: armyrotc / Flickr
27. Marmion Academy
> Student body: 525
> Founding date: 1933
> Location: Aurora, Illinois
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: 416thengineers / Flickr
26. Carver Military Academy
> Student body: 525
> Founding date: 2000
> Location: Chicago, Illinois
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
Source: Courtesy of Riverside Preparatory Academy via Facebook
25. Riverside Preparatory Academy
> Student body: 530
> Founding date: 1907
> Location: Gainesville, Georgia
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: senatorchriscoons / Flickr
24. Delaware Military Academy
> Student body: 560
> Founding date: 2003
> Location: Wilmington, Delaware
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
Source: Courtesy of Saint Thomas Academy via Facebook
23. St. Thomas Academy
> Student body: 695
> Founding date: 1885
> Location: Mendota Heights, Minnesota
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: Mx. Granger / Wikimedia Commons
22. Oakland Military Institute
> Student body: 725
> Founding date: 2001
> Location: Oakland, California
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
Source: ljubaphoto / iStock via Getty Images
21. California Military Institute
> Student body: 750
> Founding date: 2003
> Location: Perris, California
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
20. Culver Military Academy
> Student body: 850
> Founding date: 1894
> Location: Culver, Indiana
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
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19. California Maritime Academy
> Student body: 850
> Founding date: 1930
> Location: Vallejo, California
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
18. Maine Maritime Academy
> Student body: 850
> Founding date: 1941
> Location: Castine, Maine
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: Courtesy of New Mexico Military Institute
17. New Mexico Military Institute
> Student body: 870
> Founding date: 1891
> Location: Roswell, New Mexico
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Junior College, College Preparatory
Source: Courtesy of Kenosha Military Academy (KMA) Honor Guard via Facebook
16. Kenosha Military Academy
> Student body: 900
> Founding date: 1889
> Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
Source: utah778 / iStock via Getty Images
15. Forestville Military Academy
> Student body: 930
> Founding date: 1982
> Location: Forestville, Maryland
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
14. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
> Student body: 1,000
> Founding date: 1943
> Location: Kings Point, New York
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
13. U.S. Coast Guard Academy
> Student body: 1,200
> Founding date: 1876
> Location: New London, Connecticut
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
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Source: Courtesy of Sarasota Military Academy via Facebook
12. Sarasota Military Academy
> Student body: 1,350
> Founding date: 2002
> Location: Sarasota, Florida
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: College preparatory
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Source: ablokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
11. Virginia Military Institute
> Student body: 1,600
> Founding date: 1839
> Location: Lexington, Virginia
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: Undergraduate
Source: SUNY Maritime College
10. SUNY Maritime College
> Student body: 1,850
> Founding date: 1874
> Location: Throggs Neck, New York
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
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Source: sailaway46 / iStock via Getty Images
9. The Citadel
> Student body: 2,300
> Founding date: 1842
> Location: Charleston, South Carolina
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: Undergraduate
Source: drum10thmountain / Flickr
8. Norwich University
> Student body: 3,450
> Founding date: 1819
> Location: Northfield, Vermont
> Coed or men only: Men only
> Type: Undergraduate
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7. U.S. Naval War College
> Student body: 4,000
> Founding date: 1884
> Location: Newport, Rhode Island
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
Source: Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images News via Getty Images
6. United States Air Force Academy
> Student body: 4,400
> Founding date: 1954
> Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
Source: usnavy / Flickr
5. United States Naval Academy
> Student body: 4,500
> Founding date: 1845
> Location: Annapolis, Maryland
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
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Source: Brian Logan / iStock via Getty Images
4. Military Academy at West Point
> Student body: 4,600
> Founding date: 1802
> Location: West Point, New York
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
Source: MivPiv / iStock via Getty Images
3. The Military College of Georgia
> Student body: 6,500
> Founding date: 1873
> Location: Dahlonega, Georgia
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
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2. Georgia Military College
> Student body: 8,000
> Founding date: 1900
> Location: Milledgeville, Georgia
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Junior College
1. Texas Maritime Academy
> Student body: 50,000
> Founding date: 1962
> Location: Galveston, Texas
> Coed or boys only: Coed
> Type: Undergraduate
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