What Counts as a Military Boarding School?
A military boarding school is a private, residential school where students (cadets) live on campus in a structured, military-style environment — uniforms, rank, drill, and a cadet chain of command — while completing a college-preparatory academic program. Roughly 20 of them still operate in the United States, concentrated heavily in Virginia, Texas, and the Southeast.
This list covers the traditional private boarding academies. If you're looking for tuition-free residential options, jump to free alternatives below.
The Complete List of Military Boarding Schools
| School | State | Grades | Students | 2026–2027 boarding tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fork Union Military Academy | Virginia | 7–12 + PG | Boys | ~$39,900 |
| Hargrave Military Academy | Virginia | 7–12 + PG | Boys | ~$45,100 |
| Fishburne Military School | Virginia | 6–12 | Boys | ~$39,100 |
| Massanutten Military Academy | Virginia | 5–12 | Coed | ~$32,500 |
| Randolph-Macon Academy | Virginia | 6–12 | Coed | ~$48,000 |
| Marine Military Academy | Texas | 7–12 + PG | Boys | ~$51,500 |
| TMI Episcopal | Texas | 6–12 | Coed | ~$65,000 |
| San Marcos Academy | Texas | PK–12 | Coed | ~$55,000 |
| Camden Military Academy | South Carolina | 7–12 | Boys | ~$32,000 |
| Riverside Preparatory Academy | Georgia | 6–12 | Boys | ~$61,200 |
| Southern Preparatory Academy | Alabama | 7–12 | Coed | ~$25,500 |
| Admiral Farragut Academy | Florida | K–12 | Coed | ~$62,000 |
| Florida Preparatory Academy | Florida | 6–12 | Coed | ~$48,000 |
| Culver Academies | Indiana | 9–12 | Coed campus | ~$67,000 |
| Missouri Military Academy | Missouri | 7–12 + PG | Boys | ~$41,600 |
| St. John's Northwestern Academy | Wisconsin | 7–12 | Coed | ~$56,000 |
| New York Military Academy | New York | 8–12 | Coed | ~$54,000 |
| Oak Ridge Military Academy | North Carolina | 7–12 | Coed | Contact school |
| Army & Navy Academy | California | 7–12 | Boys | ~$62,000 |
| St. Catherine's Academy | California | TK–8 | Boys | Contact school |
Tuition figures are rounded for comparison and can change with fees, grade level, and financial aid. Confirm the current total directly with each school before making an enrollment decision.
Are Military Boarding Schools Still a Thing?
Yes. Twenty traditional military boarding schools still operate in the United States. Most are private college-preparatory schools, and several have become coeducational, but they continue to use uniforms, structured daily schedules, cadet leadership, and residential life.
Are Military Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens?
Not generally. Traditional military boarding schools are academic schools with selective admissions, not treatment programs or substitutes for clinical care. A student usually needs to participate willingly and meet the school's academic and behavioral requirements. Families seeking therapy or crisis intervention should compare the important differences between military schools and therapeutic schools.
Virginia — The Boarding School Capital
No state comes close to Virginia's concentration of military boarding schools:
Fork Union Military Academy (Fork Union, VA) — Grades 7-12 plus post-graduate, all-boys. Famous for its "One Subject Plan." ~$39,900/year (2026-27).
Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, VA) — Grades 7-12 plus post-graduate, all-boys. Strong athletics, Baptist affiliation. ~$45,100/year.
Fishburne Military School (Waynesboro, VA) — Grades 6-12, all-boys. Virginia's oldest private military school (1879). ~$39,100/year (2026-27).
Massanutten Military Academy (Woodstock, VA) — Grades 5-12, coed. One of the few coed academies accepting students as young as 5th grade. ~$32,500/year.
Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal, VA) — Grades 6-12, coed. Air Force JROTC and an on-campus flight program. ~$48,000/year.
Texas & the South
Marine Military Academy (Harlingen, TX) — Grades 7-12, all-boys. The only school with Marine Corps JROTC. ~$51,500/year (2026-27).
TMI Episcopal (San Antonio, TX) — Grades 6-12, coed. Episcopal college-prep with an optional corps of cadets. ~$65,000/year boarding.
San Marcos Academy (San Marcos, TX) — Grades PK-12, coed. Baptist school with military tradition. ~$55,000/year boarding (2026-27).
Camden Military Academy (Camden, SC) — Grades 7-12, all-boys. Small classes (12:1) and a structured, boarding-only environment. ~$32,000/year (2026-27).
Riverside Preparatory Academy (Gainesville, GA) — Grades 6-12, all-boys. An hour northeast of Atlanta. ~$61,200/year (2026-27).
Southern Preparatory Academy (Camp Hill, AL) — Grades 7-12, coed. The most affordable boarding academy on this list after a 2026 tuition reset. ~$25,500/year (2026-27).
Admiral Farragut Academy (St. Petersburg, FL) — Grades K-12 (boarding in upper grades), coed. Naval tradition with aviation, sailing, and scuba programs. ~$62,000/year boarding.
Florida Preparatory Academy (Melbourne, FL) — Grades 6-12, coed. ~$48,000/year boarding.
Midwest & Northeast
Culver Academies (Culver, IN) — Grades 9-12, coed campus with separate programs (Culver Military Academy for boys, Culver Girls Academy). The "military ivy," with a $540 million endowment. ~$67,000/year.
Missouri Military Academy (Mexico, MO) — Grades 7-12 plus post-graduate, all-boys. Over 130 years of tradition. ~$41,600/year (2026-27).
St. John's Northwestern Academy (Delafield, WI) — Grades 7-12, coed. The Midwest's historic lakeside academy. ~$56,000/year.
New York Military Academy (Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY) — Grades 8-12, coed. Founded 1889, an hour north of New York City. ~$54,000/year.
West Coast
Army & Navy Academy (Carlsbad, CA) — Grades 7-12, all-boys. California's beachfront military boarding school near San Diego. ~$62,000/year.
St. Catherine's Academy (Anaheim, CA) — Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade, boys. The nation's main elementary-age military boarding option.
Coed Military Boarding Schools
If you're specifically looking for coeducational boarding, these eleven schools accept both boys and girls: Culver Academies, Admiral Farragut Academy, Florida Prep, TMI Episcopal, San Marcos Academy, Massanutten Military Academy, Randolph-Macon Academy, St. John's Northwestern, New York Military Academy, Oak Ridge Military Academy, and Southern Prep.
Oak Ridge Military Academy (Oak Ridge, NC) — Grades 7-12, coed. One of the oldest military schools in America (1852). Contact school for current tuition.
For single-gender options, see our guides to military schools for boys and military schools for girls.
Best Military Boarding Schools
See our full ranked list: The 10 Best Military Schools in America (2026). The short version — "best" depends on what you're optimizing for:
- Elite academics and resources — Culver Academies is the consensus gold standard, with an endowment and college matriculation profile that rival top prep schools
- Value — Southern Preparatory Academy (~$25.5K after its 2026 tuition reset) and Camden Military Academy (~$32K) deliver the traditional experience at a fraction of coastal-academy prices
- A college head start — New Mexico Military Institute, a state-supported academy in Roswell, runs a 9-12 high school and a junior college on one campus for around $17,500/year all-in (in-state) — among the lowest boarding costs of any traditional academy
- Specialized programs — Admiral Farragut (aviation/marine science), Randolph-Macon (flight), Marine Military Academy (Marine Corps JROTC)
Learn how to evaluate a military school like an insider before you tour.
Free Boarding Alternatives
Traditional boarding academies charge tuition — but two residential paths cost nothing:
- Youth Challenge Academies — 22-week residential programs run by the National Guard for teens 16-18 who are off-track in school. Completely free. See what to expect.
- U.S. Service Academies — West Point, Annapolis, and the other federal academies are tuition-free colleges (with a service commitment after graduation). See the Service Academy Roadmap.
Next Steps
Understand what military school actually costs and how 529 plans can help pay for it. Read the Cadet Life Handbook to see what daily life looks like, or browse every school in the directory.