Want to Be the Best? This Nation’s Military Academy Shows the Way

Military academies are precisely the institutions you need for any nation eager to train the best and brightest future military leaders. For this reason, military academies are sometimes as old, if not older, than many nations. This includes the United States, where its famous West Point is just a few years older than the country's founding.

Are Military Academies Good for Officers?

Generally speaking, yes, officers are essentially forged at military academies. These days, it isn't quite the same as it was centuries ago when these institutions were gaining their footing. However, for those looking to make the military a career, this is a fine way of getting the leadership training needed.

Are Military Academies Necessary?

Military training has changed considerably since the establishment of the first military academy in the 17th century. As such, it becomes more a matter of prestige and tradition rather than something of a necessity. You can quickly become an officer in the United States military through the ROTC programs offered at many colleges.

25. Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, Germany

Military PowerIndex score of Germany: 0.3881
Founded: 1957
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Notable alumni: Raza Muhammad, Leanne van den Hoek, Harald Sunde, Hans-Lothar Domrose

24. Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailand

Military PowerIndex score of Thailand: 0.3738
Founded: 1887
Location: Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
Notable alumni: Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Sarit Thanarat, Surayud Chulanont

23. The Republic of China Military Academy, Taiwan

Military PowerIndex score of Taiwan: 0.3639
Founded: 1924
Location: Fengshan District, Taiwan
Notable alumni: Lee Shying-jow, Justin Yifu Lin

22. King Khalid Military Academy, Saudi Arabia

Military PowerIndex score of Saudi Arabia: 0.3626
Founded: 1965
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Notable alumni: Mutaib bin Abdullah, Abdulaziz al-Fagham

21. General Military Academy, Spain

Military PowerIndex score of Spain: 0.3556
Founded: 1882
Location: Alcazar de Toledo, Spain
Notable alumni: Juan Carlos I, Felipe VI

20. National Defense University of Warsaw, Poland

Military PowerIndex score of Poland: 0.3406
Founded: 1990
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Notable alumni: Roman Polko, Jaroslaw Mika, Tadeusz Buk

19. National Defense Academy of Vietnam, Vietnam

Military PowerIndex score of Vietnam: 0.2855
Founded: 1976
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Notable alumni: N/A

18. Israel Defense Forces' Tactical Command College, Israel

Military PowerIndex score of Israel: 0.2757
Founded: 1954
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Notable alumni: N/A

17. Imam Ali Officers Academy, Iran

Military PowerIndex score of Iran: 0.2712
Founded: 1921
Location: Tehran, Iran
Notable alumni: N/A

16. The Australian Defense Force Academy, Australia

Military PowerIndex score of Australia: 0.2567
Founded: 1986
Location: Canberra, Australia
Notable alumni: Chris Field, Mark Hammond, David Kilcullen

15. Odesa Military Academy, Ukraine

Military PowerIndex score of Ukraine: 0.2516
Founded: 2011
Location: Odesa, Ukraine
Notable alumni: Oleksiy Arestovych, Leonid Maltsev, Ivan Panfilov

14. Egyptian Military Academy, Egypt

Military PowerIndex score of Egypt: 0.2224
Founded: 1938
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Notable alumni: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Mohamed Hessein Tantawi, Gamal Abdel Nasser

13. Indonesian Military Academy, Indonesia

Military PowerIndex score of Indonesia: 0.2221
Founded: 1945
Location: Magelang, Indonesia
Notable alumni: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Try Sutrisno, Gatot Nurmantyo

12. Military Academy of Agulhas Negras, Brazil

Military PowerIndex score of Brazil: 0.2151
Founded: 1792
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Notable alumni: Antonio Hamilton Martins Mourao, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, Deodora da Fonseca

11. Turkish Military Academy, Turkey

Military PowerIndex score of Turkey: 0.2016
Founded: 1834
Location: Ankara, Turkey
Notable alumni: Ahmet Ziya Akgulut, Hoca Ali Riza, Abdullah Atfeh

10. The Military Academy of Modena, Italy

Military PowerIndex score of Italy: 0.1973
Founded: 1678
Location: Modena, Italy
Notable alumni: Charles Cornwallis, Nicola Bellomo, Stefano Zappala

9. Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, France

Military PowerIndex score of France: 0.1848
Founded: 1802
Location: Coetquidan, France
Notable alumni: Charles de Gaulle, Francois Lecointre, Philippe Morillon

8. National Defense Academy of Japan, Japan

Military PowerIndex score of Japan: 0.1711
Founded: 1953
Location: Yokosuka, Japan
Notable alumni: Yoshifumi Hibako, Yuji Fujinawa, Toshio Tamagami

7. Pakistan Military Academy, Pakistan

Military PowerIndex score of Pakistan: 0.1694
Founded: 1947
Location: Abbottabad, Pakistan
Notable alumni: Asim Munir, Raheel Sharif, Rahimuddin Khan

6. Korea Military Academy, South Korea

Military PowerIndex score of South Korea: 0.1505
Founded: 1946
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Notable alumni: Chae Myung-shin, Kim Jong-hwan

5. RAF College Cranwell, United Kingdom

Military PowerIndex score of United Kingdom: 0.1435
Founded: 1919
Location: Cranwell, United Kingdom
Notable alumni: Prince William, King Charles III, Sir Frank Whittle

4. National Defense Academy, India

Military PowerIndex score of India: 0.1025
Founded: 1954
Location: Maharashtra, India
Notable alumni: Vijay Kumar Singh, Arun Prakash, Robin Kumar Dhowan

3. PLA National Defense University, China

Military PowerIndex score of China: 0.0722
Founded: 1985
Location: Beijing, China
Notable alumni: N/A

2. General Staff Academy, Russia

Military PowerIndex score of Russia: 0.0714
Founded: 1936
Location: Moscow, Russia
Notable alumni: Beqir Balluku, Saken Zhasuzakov, Aleksi Inauri

1. West Point, United States

Military PowerIndex score of United States: 0.0712
Founded: 1802
Location: West Point, United States
Notable alumni: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Patton