Difference between Military Colleges and Academies

Hello everyone. This might come off as a silly question, but are military colleges the same thing as military academies? Or is there a difference that I should be aware of?

While the term "military colleges" and "military academies" are often used interchangeably, they typically refer to slightly different types of institutions.

Military academies, like the United States Military Academy (West Point), the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy, are federally operated institutions that educate students for officer roles in the U.S. military. Graduates of these academies are commissioned as officers and are required to serve in the military for a mandated number of years post-graduation.

On the other hand, military colleges include both public schools like Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Citadel, and private schools such as Norwich University. These institutions also provide military-style education, but many offer students more flexibility to pursue civilian careers after graduation. Some graduates of these military colleges go on to serve in the military, some join the reserves, but many others pursue typical civilian jobs and postgraduate education.

So while both types of institutions provide a military-oriented education, the level of commitment required for military service post-graduation typically differentiates military academies from military colleges.