Editing Military academy (section)

==United States==<!-- This section is linked from [[Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps]] -->

{{See also|List of United States military schools and academies}}

===Introduction===
In the United States, the term "military academy" does not necessarily mean a government-owned institution run by the armed forces to train its own officers. It may also mean a middle school, high school, or college, whether public or private, which instructs its students in military-style education, discipline and tradition. Students at such civilian institutions can earn a commission in the U.S. military through the successful completion of a [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]] program along with their college or university's academic coursework.

*The term '''military school''' primarily refers to pre-collegiate [[Military high school|secondary-school-level military institutions]].
*The term '''military academy''' commonly refers to a pre-collegiate, collegiate, and post-collegiate institution, especially the U.S. military-run academies.
* The term '''[[US military staff colleges]]''' refers to separate graduate schools catering to officers on [[active duty]].

Most [[U.S. state|state-level]] military academies maintain both a civilian student body and a traditional [[Cadet Corps|corps of cadets]]. The only exception is the [[Virginia Military Institute]], which remains all-military.<ref name="TopTenz">{{cite web|last1=Standberry|first1=Lee|title=Top 10 Military Colleges in America|url=http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-military-schools.php/2|website=TopTenz.net|access-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160624032118/http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-military-schools.php/2|archive-date=June 24, 2016|date=May 9, 2012|quote=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.'}}</ref>

===Federal service academies===
[[File:Horizontal Ladder and Vertical Rope USMA IOCT.JPG|thumb|Cadets of the [[United States Military Academy]] (USMA) navigate the horizontal ladder and vertical rope obstacle of the Indoor Obstacle Course Test. USMA is one of five federal service academies.]]
The colleges operated by the U.S. Federal Government, referred to as '''[[United States service academies|federal service academies]]''', are:

*[[United States Military Academy]], [[West Point, New York]]
*[[United States Naval Academy]], [[Annapolis, Maryland]]
*[[United States Air Force Academy]], [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]]
*[[United States Coast Guard Academy]], [[New London, Connecticut]]
*[[United States Merchant Marine Academy]], [[Kings Point, New York]]

===Post-graduate school===
*[[Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences]], [[Bethesda, Maryland]]

===Senior and junior military colleges===
[[File:Fishreviewfall06.jpg|thumb|Although [[Texas A&M University]] has transformed into a state university, it still maintains a [[Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets|corps of cadets]] along with a civilian student body.]]
[[File:MMI BC and Staff.jpg|thumb|Cadets of [[Marion Military Institute]] after the Alumni Weekend parade. The Institute is one of four junior military colleges in the United States.]]
There is one all-military state-sponsored military academy:

*The [[Virginia Military Institute]] (VMI), [[Lexington, Virginia]]

In addition, these five institutions that were military colleges at the time of their founding now maintain both a corps of cadets and a civilian student body. Many of these institutions also offer on-line degree programs:

*[[University of North Georgia]], [[Dahlonega, Georgia]] — Formed by a 2013 merger with Gainesville State College, its main predecessor institution, last known as [[North Georgia College & State University]], was chartered as a military college. However, when NGCSU was founded in 1873 as North Georgia Agricultural College, it had both a corps and a civilian student body, and was also the state's first coeducational college.
*[[Norwich University|Norwich University Corps of Cadets]]. [[Norwich University]], [[Northfield, Vermont]] is a private university in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private military college in the United States. The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six senior military colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of Defense as the "Birthplace of ROTC"
*[[Texas A&M Corps of Cadets]], [[Texas A&M University]], [[College Station, Texas]]
*[[The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina]], [[Charleston, South Carolina]]
*[[Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets]], [[Virginia Tech|Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University]], [[Blacksburg, Virginia]]

Along with VMI, these institutions are known as the [[United States senior military college|senior military colleges]] of the US.

Today four institutions are considered [[military junior college]]s (MJC). These four military schools participate in the Army's two-year [[Early Commissioning Program]], an Army [[ROTC]] program where qualified students can earn a commission as a [[Second Lieutenant]] after only two years of college. The four military Junior colleges are as follows:

*[[Georgia Military College]], [[Milledgeville, Georgia]]
*[[Marion Military Institute]], [[Marion, Alabama]]
*[[New Mexico Military Institute]], [[Roswell, New Mexico]]
*[[Valley Forge Military Academy and College]], [[Wayne, Pennsylvania]]

===Merchant Marine Academies that have military academy-style operations===
[[File:TS State of Michigan on Grand Traverse Bay.jpg|thumb|Cadets of the [[Great Lakes Maritime Academy]] learning how to row a boat. The institution is one of six military-styled maritime academies in the United States.]]

There are six state-operated Merchant Marine academies:
* [[Massachusetts Maritime Academy]]
* [[Maine Maritime Academy]]
* [[State University of New York Maritime College]] (part of the [[State University of New York|State University of New York (SUNY)]] system)
* [[Texas A&M University at Galveston|Texas A&M Maritime Academy]] (part of the [[Texas A&M University System]])
* [[Great Lakes Maritime Academy]] (a division of [[Northwestern Michigan College]])
* [[California State University Maritime Academy]] (part of the [[California State University]] system)

These merchant marine academies operate on a military college system. Part of the training that the cadets receive is naval and military in nature. Cadets may apply for Naval Reserve commissions upon obtaining their Merchant Marine Officer's licenses. Most if not all also offer some form of military commissioning program into the active duty US Navy, US Marine Corps, or US Coast Guard.

===Staff colleges===
The United States [[staff college]]s, mandated to serve the needs of officers for post-graduate studies and other such graduate institutions as mandated by the Department of Defense are:

====United States Air Force Air University attached staff colleges====
* The [[Air University (United States)|Air University]] in Maxwell AFB, Alabama, includes:
** [[Squadron Officer College]] and [[Squadron Officer School]]
** [[Air Command and Staff College]]
** [[USAF Air War College]]

====Staff colleges of the United States Army====
[[File:Classroom Activities, School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, 2 November 2010.jpg|thumb|A classroom at the [[School of Advanced Military Studies]], one of four staff colleges of the [[United States Army]]]]
* [[United States Army Command and General Staff College]]
* [[United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies]]
* [[United States Army War College]]

====Staff colleges of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps====
* [[Naval War College]]
* [[Naval Postgraduate School]]
* [[Marine Corps University]]
* [[Marine Corps War College]]

====Joint Service staff colleges====
[[File:National War College - Roosevelt Hall.jpg|thumb|The [[National War College]], a school of the [[National Defense University (Washington, D.C.)|National Defense University]], is a multi-service staff college in the United States.]]

* [[National Defense University (Washington, D.C.)|National Defense University]] in Washington, D.C., includes:
** [[Joint Forces Staff College]] ([[Norfolk, Virginia]])
** [[National War College]]
** [[Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy]]
* [[Defense Acquisition University]]

===Other post-graduate colleges operated by the DoD===
* [[National Intelligence University]] (military intelligence)
* [[The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School]] (legal services training)
* Air Force Judge Advocate General's School (legal services training)
* [[Naval Justice School]] (legal services training)