Citadel Military College of South Carolina

The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the six senior military colleges in the U.S. But unlike the country’s five service academies, its graduates are not required to serve in the armed forces upon graduation. Campus life here is very structured: Students wear uniforms and march in military formations. Nearly 80% of students who apply get in, and 72% of them graduate within six years. The college has a well-regarded civil engineering program. Other popular majors include criminal justice and law enforcement, business administration and the social sciences. The college isn't particularly diverse: about 75% of the students are white and more than 85% are male. (Women weren't admitted until 1996.) The school offers wide-ranging opportunities, including the Global Scholars Program, which allows students to get a full semester of credits abroad in places like Greece and Cyprus. In Money’s rankings, the college scores well for its student outcomes: nearly all graduates are working a year after leaving, and recent alums post above-average earnings.