<P> This is a complete list of four - star admirals in the United States Navy . The rank of admiral (or full admiral, or four - star admiral) is the highest rank normally achievable in the U.S. Navy . It ranks above vice admiral (three - star admiral) and below fleet admiral (five - star admiral). </P> <P> There have been 263 four - star admirals in the history of the U.S. Navy . Of these, 222 achieved that rank while on active duty, 40 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations, and one was promoted posthumously . Admirals entered the Navy via several paths: 232 were commissioned via the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), 17 via Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), 8 via Officer Candidate School (OCS), 2 via warrant, 1 via the Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) Program, 2 via Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) and 1 via the U.S. Merchant Marine . </P> <P> Entries in the following list of four - star admirals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty . Each entry lists the admiral's name, date of rank, active - duty positions held while serving at four - star rank, number of years of active - duty service at four - star rank (Yrs), year commissioned and source of commission, number of years in commission when promoted to four - star rank (YC), and other biographical notes . </P>

Number of 4 star admirals in the navy