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About the Institute
Founded in 1839 in Lexington, Virginia, VMI blends history with forward momentum. Barracks, memorials, and the Parade Ground reflect generations of service, while modern classrooms, laboratories, and technology align with today’s academic and professional demands.
VMI is the nation’s first state-supported military college, and its purpose is unwavering: educate, train, and inspire leaders of character for the military, public service, and the private sector.
If you research colleges and universities and wonder what sets one apart, look at VMI and you will see a place where discipline meets discovery, and where honor and hard work turn potential into performance.
The VMI Mission
Virginia Military Institute believes that the measure of a college lies in the quality and performance of its graduates and their contributions to society.
Therefore, it is the mission of Virginia Military Institute to produce educated, honorable men and women, prepared for the varied work of civil life, imbued with love of learning, confident in the functions and attitudes of leadership, possessing a high sense of public service, advocates of the American Democracy and free enterprise system, and ready as citizen-soldiers to defend their country in time of national peril.
To accomplish this result, Virginia Military Institute shall provide to qualified young men and women undergraduate education of highest quality -- embracing engineering, science, and the arts -- conducted in, and facilitated by, the unique VMI system of military discipline.
Vision
To be the premier small college in the Nation, unequaled in producing educated and honorable citizen-leaders, with an international reputation for academic excellence supported by a unique commitment to character development, self-discipline and physical challenge, conducted in a military environment.
VMI’s Unique Undergraduate Education
Students at VMI – known as cadets - rise to meet academic rigor, commit to a disciplined lifestyle, and embrace an honor-bound culture that sustains them when challenges loom. The three-legged stool – balancing academics, military, and athletics – prepares graduates for success in any path they choose, supported by the VMI brotherhood and an active alumni network.
LEADERSHIP
A true leadership lab, training for students starts in the Corps of Cadets through the regimental and class systems, and extends to academic, service, and athletic organizations. STEM design teams, language and cultural groups, honor societies, and volunteer initiatives build community and professional readiness. VMI graduates leave the Institute demonstrating the ability to apply the art and science of leadership to inspire and motivate, accomplish organizational goals, and lead in a complex and changing world.
ACADEMICS
VMI awards undergraduate degrees in 14 recognized majors across the liberal arts, sciences, and three engineering disciplines, delivering small classes and direct faculty mentorship. A robust core curriculum drives clarity of thought and communication, preparing cadets for advanced study and meaningful careers. Ethical decision-making, analytical reasoning, and practical leadership are embedded in every department.
ROTC
VMI’s mission is to produce citizen-soldiers, men and women educated for civilian life and also prepared to serve their country in the armed forces. At VMI, the Department of Defense maintains Army, Naval, and Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) units. All cadets must take ROTC as an all-college program requirement for completion of their degree. More than 50 percent of VMI graduates are commissioned each year upon graduation into the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard (through the AUP).
NCAA ATHLETICS
For cadets of special athletic ability, VMI maintains a highly developed program of intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) for most sports. Each year, cadet-athletes showcase their ability to balance the rigors of VMI with top-level athletic competition. The Institute consistently has its cadets recognized for achievements on and off the field, from all-team academic selection, to SoCon player of the week recognitions, to championship titles. VMI also offers a robust selection of club sports for cadets, including popular teams such as hockey and rugby.
Values and Impact – The VMI Choice
Cadets at VMI live a life of honor and integrity, following a code of conduct and upholding traditions spanning over 180 years. At the core of these traditions are the values that set VMI apart from other colleges and universities:
HONOR. The VMI Honor Code has been fundamental since the school’s beginning in 1839. The unique, single-sanction Honor System is foundational to the culture of the Institute.
EXCELLENCE. The cadet experience is predicated on pushing cadets to be the best version of themselves, reaching targets and goals that stretch themselves to new limits.
SELF-DISCIPLINE. Throughout a VMI cadetship, with young men and women learn to balance the three-legged stool of academics, military duties, and athletics and hold themselves accountable.
COURAGE. From choosing to apply to No Ordinary College and bond through shared suffering, to upholding honor, tradition, and a legacy of service in a changing world, cadets display courage daily.
ESPRIT DE CORPS. The close-knit community of VMI is found both on and off post. Cadets, employees, family, and alumni all work together for the common goal of supporting VMI's unique system and each other.
SELFLESS SERVICE. VMI inspires cadets to participate in civic engagement, volunteer their time and skills in the Lexington area and beyond, and for over half of the average graduating class, to commit to military service.
RESILIENCE. Cadets get tired, get knocked down, and take some tough hits, but it’s how they react and recover that makes them special, rising to the occasion and becoming the best versions of themselves through adversity.
Recent Accolades and a Legacy of Excellence
U.S. News & World Report has ranked VMI among the nation’s top undergraduate public liberal arts colleges since 2001. In the most recent report, the Institute also ranked in the top 10% in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at schools without a doctorate and top 31% for all national liberal arts colleges. Washington Monthly and Niche rank VMI highly for value, and according to Money Magazine, the ROI for the Institute can be seen in graduates earning $77,370 in typical early career earnings.
The Institute’s efficacy is well demonstrated by generations of proud and distinguished VMI graduates. Among the alumni of VMI are a Nobel Prize winner, 11 Rhodes Scholars, seven Medal of Honor recipients, a Pulitzer Prize winner, college presidents, generals and flag officers, and leaders across the private and public sectors, including current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine '90.
No other college or university in America is so attentive to and so proud of its product: citizen-soldiers prepared both for civilian leadership in their professions and for military leadership in times of national need.
"The end result of the VMI system is forged through the rigors of the regimental, class, and honor systems, but the extraordinary people are the defining factor that sets VMI apart. The illustrious history of VMI cadets and alumni, and, despite the differences in the times, the common experience we all share makes me proud to say that I am a VMI cadet.”
—Regimental Commander Devin Auzenne ‘26, history major, Naval ROTC Marine-Option scholarship recipient