West Point Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements 2025,West Point Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements 2025,West Point Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements 2025
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– West Point Acceptance Rate –
West Point acceptance rate is extremely competitive, but not impossible. If you are a high school senior or second semester junior and are ready for the challenge, this is all the guide you need. Keep reading for an accurate guide on everything you need to know about United States Military Academy (USMA).
About United States Military Academy (USMA)
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point or simply Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York.
It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River with a scenic view, 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City.
It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.
The academy was founded in 1802, one year after President Thomas Jefferson directed that plans be set in motion to establish it. The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, and monuments.
The majority of the campus’s Norman-style buildings are constructed from gray and black granite. The campus is a popular tourist destination, with a visitor center and the oldest museum in the United States Army.
Candidates for admission must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Other nomination sources include the president and vice president.
Additional Facts about United States Military Academy
Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as “cadets” or collectively as the “United States Corps of Cadets” (USCC). The Army fully funds tuition for cadets in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation.
About 1,300 cadets enter the Academy each July, with about 1,000 cadets graduating.
The academic program grants a Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets’ performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics.
Cadets are required to adhere to the Cadet Honor Code, which states that “a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” The academy bases a cadet’s leadership experience as a development of all four pillars of performance: academics, character, physical, and military.
Most graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army. Foreign cadets are commissioned into the armies of their home countries. West Point acceptance rate.
Facts about Cadets
Since 1959, cadets have also been eligible for an inter-service commission in one of the other armed services provided that they meet that service’s eligibility standards. A small number of cadets do this.
The academy’s traditions have influenced other institutions because of its age and unique mission. It was the first American college to have an accredited civil-engineering program and the first to have class rings, and its technical curriculum became a model for engineering schools.
West Point’s student body has a unique rank structure and lexicon. All cadets reside on campus and dine together en masse on weekdays for lunch. The academy fields 15 men’s and nine women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports teams.
Cadets compete in one sport every fall, winter, and spring season at the intramural, club, or intercollegiate level. Its football team was a national power in the early and mid-20th century, winning three national championships.
Among the country’s public institutions, the academy is the top producer of Marshall and Rhodes scholars. Its alumni and students are collectively referred to as “The Long Gray Line,” the former include:
U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant; Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy; Confederate general Robert E. Lee; American poet Edgar Allan Poe; U.S. general George Patton; presidents of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Philippines; and 76 Medal of Honor recipients.
United States Military Academy (USMA) Base Guide
Located only 50 miles from New York City, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year academic institution and a nationally-renowned historic site.
The purpose of the United States Military Academy is to provide the Nation with leaders of character who serve the common defense.
The undergraduates, known as Cadets, are commissioned as officers in the US Army upon graduation.
What to Know Before Applying
The following are requirements for candidates applying to USMA at West Point:
‣ Be between 17 and 22 years old on July 1 of the year admitted
‣ Be a U.S. citizen
‣ You cannot be married
‣ You cannot be pregnant or with any legal obligation to support a child or children
‣ You have to receive a nomination from a U.S. Congressman or have a service-connected nomination
‣ You must have competitive scores on either college entrance exam (ACT or SAT)
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The United States Military Campus
The academy is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City, on the western bank of the Hudson River. West Point, New York, is incorporated as a federal military reservation in Orange County and is next to Highland Falls.
Based on the significance both of the Revolutionary War fort ruins and the military academy itself, the majority of the academy area was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
In 1841, Charles Dickens visited the academy and said “It could not stand on the more appropriate ground, and any ground more beautiful can hardly be.”
One of the most visited and scenic sites on post, Trophy Point, overlooks the Hudson River to the north and is home to many captured cannon from past wars as well as the Stanford White-designed Battle Monument.
Though the entire military reservation encompasses 15,974 acres (65 km2), the academic area of the campus, known as the “central area” or “the cadet area”, is entirely accessible to cadets or visitors by foot.
USMA Curriculum
West Point is a medium-sized, highly residential baccalaureate college, with a full-time, four-year undergraduate program that emphasizes instruction in the arts, sciences, and professions with no graduate program.
There are forty-five academic majors, the most popular of which are foreign languages, management information systems, history, economics, and mechanical engineering.
West Point is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Military officers compose 75% of the faculty, while civilian professors make up the remaining 25%.
A cadet’s class rank, which determines his or her Army branch and assignment upon graduation, is calculated as a combination of academic performance (55%), military leadership performance (30%), and physical fitness and athletic performance (15%).
1. Academics
The academy’s teaching style forms part of the Thayer method, which was implemented by Sylvanus Thayer during his tour as Superintendent.
This form of instruction emphasizes small classes with daily homework and strives to make students actively responsible for their own learning by completing homework assignments prior to class and bringing the work to class to discuss collaboratively.
The academic program consists of a structured core of thirty-one courses balanced between the arts and sciences. The academy operates on the semester system, which it labels as “terms” (Term 1 is the fall semester; Term 2 is the spring semester).
Although cadets choose their majors in the spring of their freshmen year, all cadets take the same course of instruction until the beginning of their second year.
This core course of instruction consists of mathematics, information technology, chemistry, physics, engineering, history, physical geography, philosophy, leadership and general psychology, English composition and literature, foreign language, political science, international relations, economics, and constitutional law.
Some advanced cadets may “validate” out of the base-level classes and take advanced or accelerated courses earlier than freshmen or sophomores. Regardless of major, all cadets graduate with a bachelor of science degree.
2. Military
As all cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants upon graduation, military and leadership education is nested with academic instruction. Military training and discipline fall under the purview of the Office of the Commandant.
Entering freshmen, or fourth class cadets, are referred to as New Cadets, and enter the academy on Reception Day or R-day, which marks the start of cadet basic training (CBT), known colloquially as Beast Barracks, or simply Beast.
Most cadets consider Beast to be their most difficult time at the academy because of the transition from civilian to military life.
More on Military
Their second summer, cadets undergo cadet field training (CFT) at nearby Camp Buckner, where they train in more advanced field craft and military skills. During a cadet’s third summer, they may serve as instructors for CBT or CFT.
Rising Firstie (senior) cadets also spend one-month training at Camp Buckner, where they train for modern tactical situations that they will soon face as new platoon leaders.
Cadets also have the opportunity during their second, third, and fourth summers to serve in active army units and military schools around the world. The schools include Airborne, Air Assault, Sapper, Pathfinder, etc.
Active duty officers in the rank of captain or major serve as Company Tactical Officers (TAC Officers). The role of the TAC is to mentor, train, and teach the cadets proper standards of good order and discipline and be a good role model.
There is one TAC for every cadet company. There is also one senior Non-Commissioned Officer to assist each TAC, known as TAC-NCOs.
The Department of Military Instruction (DMI) is responsible for all military arts and sciences education, as well as planning and executing the cadet summer training.
Within DMI, there is a representative from each of the Army’s branches. These “branch reps” serve as proponents for their respective branches and liaise with cadets as they prepare for branch selection and graduation. West Point acceptance rate.
Within DMI sits the Modern War Institute, a research center devoted to the study of contemporary conflict and the evolving character of war.
3. Physical
The Department of Physical Education (DPE) administers the physical program, which includes both physical education classes, physical fitness testing, and competitive athletics.
The head of DPE holds the title of Master of the Sword, dating back to the 19th century when DPE taught swordsmanship as part of the curriculum.
All cadets take a prescribed series of physical fitness courses such as military movement (applied gymnastics), boxing, survival swimming, and, beginning in 2009, advanced combative.
Cadets can also take elective physical activity classes, such as scuba, rock climbing, and aerobic fitness.
As with all soldiers in the Army, cadets also must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test twice per year. Additionally, every year, cadets must pass the Indoor Obstacle Course Test (IOCT), which DPE has administered in Hayes Gymnasium since 1944.
Since Douglas MacArthur’s tenure as superintendent, every cadet has been required to participate in either an intercollegiate sport, a club sport, or an intramural (referred to as “company athletics”) sport each semester.
4. Moral and Ethical Training
Moral and ethical development occurs throughout the entirety of the cadet experience by living under the honor code and through formal leadership programs available at the academy.
These include instruction in the values of the military profession through Professional Military Ethics Education (PME2), voluntary religious programs, interaction with staff and faculty role models, and an extensive guest-speaker program.
The foundation of the ethical code at West Point is found in the academy’s motto, “Duty, Honor, Country.”
West Point’s Cadet Honor Code reads simply that: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” [164] Cadets accused of violating the Honor Code face an investigative and hearing process.
If they are found guilty by a jury of their peers, they face severe consequences ranging from being “turned back” (repeating an academic year) to separation from the academy.
Cadets previously enforced collective censure by an unofficial sanction known as “silencing” by not speaking to cadets accused of violating the honor code, but the practice ended in 1973 after national scrutiny.
Although the academy’s honor code is well known and has been influential for many other colleges and universities, the academy has experienced several significant violations.
For example, 151 junior cadets were found guilty of “violating the honor code” in their exams in 1976.[168] In 2025, more than 70 cadets were also accused of cheating on exams.
West Point Acceptance Rate and Requirement
What are West Point’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
‣ GPA requirements
‣ Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
‣ Application requirements
In this guide, we’ll cover what you need to get into West Point and build a strong application.
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at West Point is 10.3%. For every 100 applicants, only 10 are admitted.
This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don’t meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.
After crossing this hurdle, you’ll need to impress West Point application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We’ll cover more below.
West Point GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.
Average GPA: 3.9
Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.9, West Point requires you to be at the top of your class. You’ll need nearly straight A’s in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – to show that college-level academics is a breeze.
If you’re currently junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate.
This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you. West Point acceptance rate.
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SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to West Point. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
West Point SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score. His average GPA at West Point is 3.9.
West Point SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1170, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1360. In other words, 1170 on the New SAT places you below average, while 1360 will move you up to above average.
Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:
Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
Math | 645 | 590 | 700 |
Reading + Writing | 625 | 570 | 680 |
Composite | 1270 | 1170 | 1360 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
This is also known as “supers coring.” This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.
Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below 1360, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.
Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT.
Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.
West Point ACT Requirements
Just like for the SAT, West Point likely doesn’t have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
The average ACT score at West Point is 28. This score makes West Point Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 25, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 30.
Even though West Point likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 25 or below, you’ll have a very hard time getting in unless you have something else very impressive in your application.
There are so many applicants scoring 28 and above that, a 25 will look academically weak. West Point acceptance rate.
Apply to West Point in 8 Steps.
Here are 8 guiding steps to help you apply to West Point:
Step 1. Confirm Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following basic eligibility requirements:
‣ At least age 17, but not 23 or older, on July 1 of the year you enter West Point
‣ A U.S. Citizen (See Information for International Cadets for exceptions)
‣ Not married
‣ Not pregnant
‣ Not legally responsible for child support
Step 2. Gather Personal Information
You will need the following information to complete your application:
‣ Your Social Security Number
‣ Your ACT, SAT, PSAT or PLAN (Pre-ACT) scores
‣ Your 9-digit zip code (Find zip+4)
‣ Your high school’s ETS Code
‣ Your high school’s address
‣ Your Congressional District
Step 3. Apply Online
Complete the Candidate Questionnaire (CQ) to open an application to West Point. We use the CQ to screen applicants for eligibility. The application window opens on February 1st for high school juniors. Open a file as early as possible.
‣ All qualified applicants receive their West Point Candidate Portal credentials by email, usually within 24-48 hours.
‣ Check your spam folder if you don’t get an email within 48 hours.
Step 4. Connect with our Field Force
West Point Field Force members are local volunteer Admissions representatives of the U.S. Military Academy. Field Force members are invaluable when navigating the application process at West Point.
Find your Field Force representative today! All applications must include an interview. A Field Force representative will contact you to schedule the interview.
TIP: Dress as you would for a job interview.
Step 5. Apply for a Nomination
A nomination is required to attend West Point. There are two types: Congressional (your Representative or one of your State’s Senators) and Service-Connected. Nominations are due by January 31st of the year you start college.
‣ Locate your Congressional Representative or Senators
‣ Learn more about applying for a nomination
Step 6. Get a Medical Examination
The Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB) will provide the location and date of your exam. The DoDMERB website is useful to Track Your Medical Status.
Tip: Take your medical exam as soon as possible! It can take several months to get qualified. If you haven’t been scheduled by DoDMERB by the fall of your high school senior year, contact your regional Admissions Officer. West Point acceptance rate.
Step 7. Take the Candidate Fitness Assessment
Qualified Applicants will receive an email directing them to the CFA Testing Instructions. The CFA consists of six events:
‣ Basketball throw (from a kneeling position)
‣ Cadence pull-ups or flexed-arm hang (women’s option)
‣ 40-yard shuttle run (for time)
‣ Modified Sit-ups (number completed in 2 minutes)
‣ Push-ups (number completed in 2 minutes)
‣ 1-mile run (for time)
Step 8. Take College Entrance Exams
The SAT, ACT, PSAT, or PLAN tests must be timed. When registering for the ACT, select the “ACT Plus Writing”.
TIP: Take the tests as many times as practicable. We will super-score your standardized tests.
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FAQs About West Point Acceptance Rate
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the West Point acceptance rate:
QUES: Can I Get into West Point with an 1100 SAT Score?
Yes, you can, but if you are serious about attending The United States Military Academy. It starts with visiting their Admissions Site and starting the process for your Pre-Cadet Packet. As well as start the process for winning a Nomination to the same.
Each of your Senators has 2 Nominations and your Congressional Representative has 2 giving each prospective candidate 5 shots at a Nomination.
Be advised early many Congresspeople and Senators have their own internal packet to apply for the nomination. These may or may not be heavily SAT weighed.
QUES: Will West Point accept a 3.2 GPA?
The average GPA at West Point is 3.9. With a GPA of 3.9, West Point requires you to be at the top of your class. You’ll need nearly straight A’s in all your classes to compete with other applicants.
Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – to show that college-level academics is a breeze.
QUES: What is the Tuition at West Point?
West Point is one of the most competitive schools in the United States to get into.
In order to be accepted, you need to have strong academics, high test scores, and stellar recommendations from many people, including your member of Congress or US senator.
Start on your West Point application early, put effort into it, and you’ll be on the right track.
QUES: Is West Point really that Good of a School?
No alcohol is allowed in the dorms, and freshmen are given only one weekend leave per semester. That rigor, combined with the virtue of a free education, has made West Point tops in FORBES’ list of the best colleges in the country, up from sixth place last year.
The rankings are compiled in conjunction with Ohio University economist Richard Vedder and his Center for College Affordability & Productivity. (Click here for the complete rankings and featured stories.)
West Point excels in most measures. It graduates 80% of its students in four years. It is fourth in winners of Rhodes scholarships since 1923 (ahead of Stanford), sixth in Marshalls since 1982 (ahead of Columbia and Cornell) and fourth in Trumans since 1992 (ahead of Princeton and Duke).
This year, 4 out of 37 Gates scholars, who earn a full ride to study at the University of Cambridge in England, graduated from the service academies. The Gates roster includes four Yale grads, one from Harvard and none from Princeton.
QUES: What did You do to Get into West Point?
the simple truth is that it is very difficult to get an appointment to Annapolis or West Point for a variety of reasons, some common to the most elite schools and some unique to the Federal Service Academies.
In summary, it is because of the prestige of these institutions coupled with what is in effect a “full-ride-plus” scholarship (~$400K by some estimates that covers ALL costs, plus a modest “stipend”-like salary while attending).
It is granted to *every* single student (i.e., “The best education money CAN’T buy!”) with guaranteed employment after graduation (i.e., commissioned military officers)… well, that causes appointments to be highly valued and earnestly pursued.
Add to these facts that it costs very little (or nothing?) to apply and be considered for admission by these schools, the Academies provide an unparalleled opportunity for students of even the “most modest means”.
That is, those who do not come from families that can afford much by way of post-secondary education, and even more so because every Academy student is treated equally without regard of where they come from (geographically, monetarily, or socially) a true meritocracy.
For these reasons, and at least theoretically, every single college-bound high school senior *should* apply to the Academies!
However, like all elite college-level programs (think “Ivy League”), an absolutely outstanding academic record is required both in terms of classroom performance and standardized testing so much so that many would-be applicants self-select against applying because they know they are not academically competitive.
Furthermore, to a degree unparalleled by other colleges, physical fitness and athletic achievement is also very important for admissions, with great weight being placed on athleticism, past athletic participation, and athletic letters.
Moreover, the Academies require top-notch medical fitness that pretty much precludes minor disabilities and medical conditions that most schools do not even consider.
(e.g., diabetes, heart murmurs, childhood cancers, spinal/neck conditions, permanent knee/shoulder/ankle injuries, and so forth, as well as more substantial forms of asthma, allergies, psychological issues, poor eyesight, and autism, among other things).
And lastly, admission to the Academies generally requires that you receive a formal nomination from one of a limited number of political sources, most commonly comprising only one’s three U.S. Congressional Representative.
E.g., the district Member in the U.S. House of Representatives or the two U.S. Senators from one’s home state) plus those nomination sources reserved for only a small subset of potential applicants (e.g., President, Vice President, Honors JROTC, etc..
Each of these additional categories of requirements further cause would-be applicants to self-select against applying. So what is left by self-selection alone is already a remarkably competitive and uniquely qualified talent pool.
QUES: Which of the Service Academies is the Hardest Overall?
What do you mean by “hardest?” The Air Force Academy tends to be the most competitive for entrance. The Military Academy is the most prestigious with the Naval Academy coming close second.
Most of that is due to age and famous alumni. Each of the Academies have varying levels of difficulty depending on what major is chosen. Choosing nuclear engineering in any of the Academies is probably a bit more challenging than say communications.
The Military Academy has historically tended to rate higher academically. The Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy are more enjoyable institutions to attend.
The Military Academy is on the side of a cliff over the Hudson River in the drab and cold Northern countryside. The Naval Academy is located in a downtown hot spot on the beautiful southern coast.
The Air Force Academy is a couple of minutes from a downtown hot spot in the beautiful Front Range of the Rockies.
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CSN Team.
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