Pentagon Removes Harvard, MIT and 20 Elite Universities For U.S. Army Officers: Check Complete List

Last Updated: Mar 4, 2026, 01:54 EDT

Pentagon removed 22 schools, including Harvard, MIT, and Yale, from the U.S. Army's Professional Military Education (PME) program and cancelled 93 Senior Service College fellowships. This reflects a strategic shift, requiring future partner schools to align with national security objectives.

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The Pentagon has removed a total of 22 schools, including prestigious universities such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, Columbia and Princeton, from the Professional Military Education (PME) program for U.S. Army officers

In addition, the Pentagon cancelled 93 Senior Service College fellowships associated with the mentioned 22 schools. 

This also impacts all army officers who have intended to pursue advanced leadership and strategic training as a result of the number of cancelled fellowships. In addition to this development, the Department of Defence has considered that all future Partner Schools must demonstrate alignment with specific national security objectives and limited affiliations with adversaries to be qualified as a Partner School.

For those army officers currently enrolled in one of the previously mentioned schools will complete their studies at that school; candidates for the respective program will need to look to the newly revised list of approved partner schools. 

This action reflects a long-term strategy to change the manner in which the Pentagon shapes its officer education and fellowship opportunities.

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Full List of 22 Universities

Here are the 22 Elite Universities that were banned from Professional Military Education (PME):

No.

Institution Name

Location

1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.

2

Saint Louis University

St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

3

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.

4

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts, U.S.

5

Georgetown University

Washington, D.C., U.S.

6

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

7

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.

8

Columbia University

New York City, New York, U.S.

9

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.

10

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont, U.S.

11

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.

12

George Washington University

Washington, D.C., U.S.

13

College of William and Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.

14

Queen’s University

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

15

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Washington, D.C., U.S.

16

New America Foundation

Washington, D.C., U.S.

17

The Brookings Institution

Washington, D.C., U.S.

18

Atlantic Council

Washington, D.C., U.S.

19

Center for a New American Security

Washington, D.C., U.S.

20

Council on Foreign Relations

New York City, New York, U.S.

21

The Henry L Stimson Center

Washington, D.C., U.S.

22

Johns Hopkins University SAIS0- West Space Scholars Program

Washington, D.C., U.S.

93 Fellowships Cancelled

The Pentagon has ended 93 senior service college fellowships that had previously provided U.S. Army officers with access to 22 colleges and universities, including some of the best schools in the country, such as Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Officers were able to gain higher levels of leadership, strategy, and policy training through these fellowships as part of Professional Military Education programs. 

The termination of these programs will greatly limit the senior officer's ability to further their education and their ability to develop as a strategist in the future.


Ayukta Zisha
Ayukta Zisha

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    Ayukta Zisha is certified in Digital Marketing from IIT Delhi, known for creating engaging, reader-friendly explainers and International News. Ayukta also crafts interactive puzzles and personality tests that attract high reader engagement. With a sharp research approach and a creative style, she consistently delivers informative and entertaining content for Jagran Josh's diverse audience.

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    First Published: Mar 4, 2026, 12:24 IST

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