Kansas City, the largest city in Missouri

Missouri is the 24th state of the United States of America. It is located in the Midwestern region of the county, named after the Missouri river that flows from west to east dividing the state in half, essentially connecting the two largest metros in Kansas City and St. Louis, to join the Mississippi River on the eastern boundary of the state. Missouri is bordered by eight different states: on the east across the Mississippi River by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; on the west by Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; by Iowa on the north; and Arkansas on the south.

Typical of the states in the Midwestern region, Missouri is generally made of gently rolling plains, with a great abundance of streams. Along the Mississippi river, the land gives way to large river bluffs and sandy terrain. Without high mountains or bodies of water nearby to moderate temperature, Missouri often experiences extreme temperature changes, with cold winters and hot, humid summers. But generally the state has a humid continental climate.

The first Europeans to settle into the lands that became Missouri were ethnic French Canadians who settled at the present-day Ste. Genevieve. By 1750, colonial villages dotted the east side of the Mississippi River, thriving on wheat, corn and tobacco and shipping these to Lower Louisiana for trade. It became part of the United States at the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, and in 1821, Missouri became part of the United States.

Military Education in Missouri

During the American Civil War, Missouri was a border state that saw itself supplying men and supplies to both opposing sides, the Union and the Confederate Army. It had separate governments representing each side, and endured an intrastate war within the larger national war, especially during the events of the Bleeding Kansas. Counting minor engagements and skirmishes, the state was a battleground to over 1,200 confrontations. One of the most significant battles that took place in Missouri was the Battle of Westport at Kansas City in 1864.

With such rich military history, Missouri is a natural location for military educational programs. Several major military installations in the state: the Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Knoster, Fort Leonard Wood in Pulaski County, and the Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City also serves as major influences for military education in the state.

Missouri Military Boarding Schools

Missouri is home to several military schools and programs offered by private institutions all over the state. Currently, there are dozens of private military schools, college prep military schools, public elementary military schools, as well as military programs offered by state colleges. To find a military boarding school, just click on any of the links below.