National Defense University

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Before World War II, American scholarship in the profession of arms matured in each of the military services more or less independently. Requirements for advanced education for leaders of the nation's military and naval forces were met as they arose through postgraduate colleges set up by and for the respective services. The 20th century imposed a growing need for closer ties between force and diplomacy between America's military services and the industries that arm them, and particularly among our military centers of higher learning and research. This led to the creation of the Army Industrial College in 1924 and, after World War II, forming joint colleges of higher learning. These new joint colleges included the Armed Forces Staff College, the National War College, and the Army Industrial College, which later became the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
NDU was established in 1976 to consolidate intellectual resources and provide joint higher education for the nation's defense community. The Industrial College of the Armed Forces (now the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy) and the National War College were the new institution's original two constituent colleges. The Armed Forces Staff College (now the Joint Forces Staff College) was added to the university in 1981. A year later, the Department of Defense Computer Institute (now the Information Resources Management College) joined. The university's newest school is the College of International Security Affairs, created in 2002 as the School for National Security Executive Education.
NDU will create strategic advantage by developing joint warfighters and other national security leaders and forging relationships through whole-of-nations and whole-of-government educational programs, research, and engagement.
National Defense University students are selected by their service, agency, department, or country to attend NDU programs. NDU does not accept applications from individuals for admission. Consequently, traditional measures of student outcomes are not comparable to civilian universities. Almost 100% of our enrollees graduate in the time allotted, almost 100% of our graduates are employed during their enrollment and for several years after graduation. Data concerning the organizational diversity of our student bodies follow, listed by component.

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