The Virginia Military Institute, often called the West Point of the South, is the oldest state-supported military college in the country.
Student life shares some similarities with Army service. Cadets live in modestly furnished barracks with up to five others, not in dorms. They wear uniforms to class, must keep shoes polished and march in formation. Plus, VMI students are required to participate in one of the four Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs: Army, Marines, Navy or Air Force. It's a co-ed institution, but men far outnumber women on campus.
On average, more than 80% of students each year receive some form of financial aid, according to the school. The median salary of graduates four years after entering the workforce is about $75,000.
VMI offers bachelor's degrees in 14 majors across engineering, the sciences, and arts and humanities and 28 minors, including astronomy, leadership studies and national security. The first semester is notoriously challenging: So-called "rats," aka first-year students, must keep themselves spotless, stand at attention and perform school songs or yells at the behest of upper-class cadets.
Every student is encouraged to play a sport, whether on a club or a team, and offerings include lacrosse, water polo, ice hockey, jiu-jitsu and powerlifting. The Keydets play in Division I and have an unusual mascot: Moe the kangaroo.
