Texas A&M Corps Of Cadets No. 3 Among Military Schools

Texas A&M University — more specifically the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets — is ranked No. 3 nationally in “Top 10 Military Schools in America“ ratings by TopTenz, an online organization that specializes in producing a variety of top-10 lists. The Texas A&M corps is topped in the military school ratings only by the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy, meaning it places first among all military programs that are part of public or private universities, institutes or colleges, including the Senior Military Colleges, of which there are only six in the nation.

Participation in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets has been optional since 1965, but more than 2,300 young men and women elected to join the corps this fall — the most in three decades — and at a level expected to keep it first in total strength, except for the federal military academies.

Rounding out the TopTenz list are (in order) the U.S. Air Force Academy, Norwich University,

Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Valley Forge Military Academy and College.

“All of us at Texas A&M are pleased but not surprised to see our Corps of Cadets rated so highly,” President R. Bowen Loftin said when made aware of the honor. “We see the corps in operation virtually every day and are well aware of the dedication and commitment to excellence demonstrated by the young men and women who are in its ranks. We are truly honored that the Corps of Cadets is held in such high esteem by top military personnel who come to campus or see our cadets in action when they go to summer training and other off-campus activities.”

Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez, Jr., commandant of the Corps of Cadets, agreed, adding:  “We are extremely proud of this national recognition of our Corps of Cadets, and consider it to be a strong statement about the high caliber young men and women who make up the Corps of Cadets today, as well as all those who were once members of the corps in the past. To be ranked as the top Senior Military College in the nation, as well as being ranked behind only two very prestigious and historic military academies is a true honor, and is a credit to the dedication, commitment to excellence, and leadership abilities of all who wore the uniform of a cadet in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M.”

The TopTenz editors pointed out that the Corps of Cadets is part of the 50,000-member Texas A&M student body that is the sixth largest in the nation.

“The sheer size of the university and the academic opportunities that come with this is certainly to the benefit of the cadets,” noted editors of the online service. “The school has a rich tradition of providing quality officers to the U.S. armed forces. The school has produced over 250 flag and general officers, and members of the school’s Corps of Cadets have been involved in every American armed conflict since 1876. The school’s marching band is also the largest precision military marching band in the world! Texas does everything big.”