Military Schools in Illinois

There are 7 Military Schools located in Illinois.

Air Force Academy High School > >

Grades: 9-12 | 3630 South Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60609

The Air Force Academy High School is located in Chicago, Illinois.It is a charter school that is part of the Chicago Public Schools system and educates grades 9th through 12th. This school focuses on physics, science and mathematics.This school closely follows the United States Air Force program and students wear uniforms daily that reflects this.Enrollment […]

Carver Military Academy > >

Grades: 9-12 | 13100 South Doty Road, Chicago, IL 60827

Initially known as Carver High School, Carver Military Academy (CMA) is a public high school located on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois, in Riverdale, Illinois.  Students must be from the surrounding area.In August of 2000, Carver Area High School underwent a massive change when it became the first existing public high school in […]

Chicago Military Academy > >

Grades: 9-12 | 3533 Giles Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616

The Chicago Military Academy is an urban Chicago public school that resides on a national historic landmark in the City of Chicago. The building is a former Armory which was home to the 9th Infantry Battalion in 1915. The armory provided a safe haven for soldiers and was eventually remodeled to become a military academy for Chicago’s […]

Marine Math & Science Academy > >

Grades: 9-12 | 145 S Campbell Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

The Marine Math and Science Academy (MMSA) in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the few secondary schools whose learning environment leans toward the USMC. Young men and women attend classes in Marine-style uniforms and earn rank and privilege advancement in addition to continuing to the next higher grades.Academic Programs & ActivitiesWhile the military aspect is […]

Marmion Academy > >

Grades: 9-12 | 1000 Butterfield Road, Aurora, IL 60502

Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois, was founded in 1933. Associated with the Roman Catholic Marmion Abbey, this military school is administered by Benedictine monks and layperson staff. This small, college preparatory school for males strives to uphold its founding principles of academic excellence, leadership development and spiritual formation.Academic ExcellenceThe Marmion Academy joins challenging courses with […]

Phoenix Military Academy > >

Grades: 9-12 | 145 S Campbell Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

Phoenix Military Academy is a Chicago Public High School. It belongs to the school system consisting of 115 high schools in Chicago, Illinois. Classes usually run from August 8 to June 6 and this military school has about 438 students enrolled all in all from Grades 9 – 12. The usual student-teacher ratio is 12:1 […]

Rickover Military School > >

Grades: 9-12 | 5900 North Glenwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660

Founded in 2005, Rickover Naval Academy (RNA), is a preparatory school for college.  Also known as Rickover Military School-Illinois, RNA is located at 5900 North Glenwood Avenue Chicago, Illinois. Currently, it is led by Academy Superintendent Michael J. Biela. This Academy does not recruit for the United States Armed Forces, but it is a training ground […]

Military Schools in Illinois

The military schools in Illinois can number into the hundreds if the list includes the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs for each branch of the United States Military.

The few selected for inclusion demonstrate the standards, ethics and prestige these junior programs can offer students throughout the state.

In addition to the schools for primary and secondary grades, a short sampling of colleges with outstanding ROTC programs and one non-standard program is also noted.

JROTC Program Sample List

Of the dozens of JROTC programs available for Illinois youth, one of the better-known is that included in the Oak Ridge Military Academy, a boarding school for both boys and girls in south Chicago. This co-educational school that serves middle- to high school-aged kids is one of the few uniformed schools in Illinois.

Phoenix Military Academy became a Silver Ribbon winner and a Level 1 school in 2012, a very prestigious recognition and award. Additional schools that require wearing of uniforms include Carver Military Academy, Rickover Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy High School, Marine Math and Science Academy, the Marmion Academy and several others.

Military Colleges and Universities

While there are training schools for active military in Illinois, there is no active college or university that is specifically aimed at a military environment. Instead, ROTC programs enable students to be exposed to military-like life while earning financial aid that defrays much of the cost of higher education.

Illinois universities and colleges that have ROTC programs include Aurora University, the University of Chicago, DePaul University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Judson University, Lewis and Clark Community College, Illinois State University and Chicago State University.

Non-Standard Military Academy

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is unlike any other military environment-based learning program. While it is neither a secondary school or an undergraduate school, this is a national program that targets “at risk” youth and young adults who are primarily between 16 and 18 years of age.

Administered at state-level, the Illinois program, called Lincoln’s ChalleNGe Academy, is one of the most successful in the nation. Part of the graduation requirements is to complete a military skills test called the ASVAB or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. While there is no requirement to join the military upon completion of the 22-week program, almost 10 percent of graduates actually do.

The primary goal is to obtain a General Education Diploma or increase the incoming grade level by at least one step. Core ideals include academic excellence, job skills, physical fitness, leadership/“followership,” health, sex education and nutrition, responsible citizenship and community service.

Once the 22-week module is completed, involvement in the Lincoln ChalleNGe Academy doesn’t end. Each student is assigned a mentor from the school and must have regular contact for a year. This mandatory follow-up step gives stability and continuity for the young adult.

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