Citadel Military College of South Carolina

The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as the Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges in the United States. The Citadel was initially established as two schools to educate young men from around the state, while simultaneously protecting the South Carolina State Arsenals in both Columbia and Charleston. Academics at the Citadel are divided into six schools: Business, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, and Mathematics. Bachelor's degrees are offered in 38 major programs of study with 55 minors. The military program is made up of cadets pursuing bachelor's degrees who live on campus. For traditional students, the Citadel offers non-military programs including 12 undergraduate degrees, 26 graduate degrees, as well as evening and online programs with seven online graduate degrees, three online undergraduate degrees, and three certificate programs. Approximately 1,495 non-cadet students are enrolled in Citadel Graduate College pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. The South Carolina Corps of Cadets makes up half the student body of the school and numbers 2,226. Cadet life is devised into a "class system" which focuses on the development of Cadets as both students and leaders. The Corps contains its own unique traditions, lexicon, and rank structures. One-third of graduates each year go into the armed services. All members of the Corps are required to participate in ROTC, with all branches' (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard) training programs being represented. The Citadel Bulldogs field 9 men's teams, 7 women's teams, and 1 mixed team (rifle) at the NCAA Division I level. Graduates of the Citadel's Corps of Cadets are known as "the Long Gray Line", modeled after the United States Military Academy tradition. Graduates of the Citadel Graduate College are considered part of the alumni organization, but with a distinct variant of the Citadel's class ring. Alumni of the Citadel include numerous generals, senators, athletes and writers. Two Medal of Honor and two Navy Cross recipients have attended the Citadel, and six alumni have risen to become state governors.