United States Service Academies: Is One in Your Future?

The following United States Service Academies are all public institutions aimed at providing undergraduate education and training for students wishing to become commissioned officers in one of the branches of the military.

Pursuing a career as an officer in the military can be a very rewarding yet challenging path. There are ample benefits to a career in the military, but there are also drawbacks to the lifestyle that you should consider. The following United States Service Academies are all public institutions aimed at providing undergraduate education and training for students wishing to become commissioned officers in one of the branches of the military. These prestigious institutions have extremely competitive acceptance rates and have a reputation of providing a top-notch education for those enrolled. They also have some great benefits, such as tuition, room, and board fully funded by the military branch in exchange for active duty service after graduation. In many cases, students also receive a stipend for uniforms, books, and supplies. If you are interested in pursuing a degree through one of these academies and serving in the military after graduation, give serious consideration to the following.

US Military Academy

Commonly referred to as West Point, the United States Military Academy was founded in 1802 and is located in West Point, New York. The Academy educates and trains cadets for careers as officers in the Army. The Academy adopted co-education in 1976 but is still predominately male with about 15% of the total enrollment being female. Rules and regulations placed on students are generally stricter than other public colleges and universities, such as required uniforms, mandatory class attendance, and additional duties and responsibilities. Academically, the Academy offers of a variety of majors that all result in a Bachelor of Science degree. The Academy has a competitive athletic program with NCAA Division I football and a thriving rivalry with the Navy football team. Famous alumni include Robert E. Lee and Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Related: Top Careers for Students Who Want to Make a Difference

US Naval Academy

Commonly referred to as Annapolis, the United States Naval Academy was founded in 1845 and is located in Annapolis, Maryland. The Academy trains men and women to be officers in the Navy, and students are referred to as Midshipmen during their training. Additionally, the Naval Academy adopted co-education in 1976 but remains approximately 80% male. There are a number of majors to choose from all resulting in a Bachelor of Science degree. Regulations require Midshipmen to attend classes, military formations, and meals daily and all students are required to live in dormitories regardless of their year of study. There are numerous clubs and organizations available to students as well as NCAA Division I athletics in many sports. Notable alumni include Jimmy Carter and John McCain.

US Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy was founded in 1954 and is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The goal of the Academy is to train and educate men and women to be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Air Force. The Academy is the newest of the five United States Service Academies and adopted co-education in 1976 but currently has about 78% male enrollment. Cadets earn a Bachelor of Science degree in one of a variety of majors and are additionally trained in military discipline and physical fitness. A number of bands, teams, and clubs are available to students along with NCAA Division I athletics. Notable alumni include Frederick D. Gregory, former astronaut, and Chesley Sullenberger, the captain who safely landed Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009 in what became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

Related: A Quick Guide to ROTC: How to Know if It's Right for You

Admission to these Academies requires the student to be nominated by a government official, undergo a medical exam and fitness test, and meet the academic and age requirements. Serious consideration of these requires advanced planning and confidence that a career in the military is the right choice for you. The acceptance rates for these Academies range between 7%–10%; therefore, students submitting applications should be prepared to have alternative options for college.

There are numerous options for students wishing to pursue military careers. If one of these is out of reach, check out our list of military colleges to find one that can help you achieve your service and academic goals.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Kristen Healy

Kristen Healy

Kristen Healy is a former Assistant Editor at Carnegie, the higher education marketing agency behind CollegeXpress. She graduated in 2010 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a double major in Journalism and Communication and a minor in Political Science. Her college career was spent writing for the news section of UMass’s Daily Collegian, volunteering at the university television studio, and enjoying the sites and activities of downtown Amherst. Kristen loves to travel and spent part of her junior year studying abroad in Galway, Ireland, where she gained perspective on what it's like to attend a large university in another country. She hopes her experiences in public higher education will help guide readers through their own college journeys!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Melanie Kajy

Melanie Kajy

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously during my senior year of high school. I started off using the college search to find more information about the universities I was interested in. Just this tool alone gave me so much information about a particular school. It was my one-stop shop to learn about college. I was able to find information about college tuition, school rank, majors, and so much more that I can't list it all. The college search tool has helped me narrow down which college I want to attend, and it made a stressful process surprisingly not so stressful. I then moved to the scholarship search tool to find scholarships to apply for because I can't afford to pay for tuition myself. The search tool helped me find scholarships that I was eligible for. The tool gave me all the information I could ever need about a particular scholarship that was being offered. The CollegeXpress scholarship search tool is so much better than other tools offered, like the Chegg scholarship search. Thanks to CollegeXpress, I was able to apply to tons of scholarships in a relatively easy way!

Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

High School Class of 2022

As a high schooler, I know how hard it is to plan for college. You have to consider a lot of factors: SAT/ACT scores, college searches, scholarships, and more. CollegeXpress has been a helpful resource that solves all these problems. One can easily create a free account and search away. They help you search for scholarships and colleges, they have graduate program search, they have lists and rankings, and so much more. CX also has a lot of articles and advice to read—whether it’s financial aid, test prep, campus visits, internships/careers, or anything. Not only that, CX gives out free scholarship money to students who sign up and create a free CX account. I love CX and will continue to use it! Thank you CollegeXpress for making my college journey easier!

Alexandria

Alexandria

High School Class of 2021

For a long time, I've been searching everywhere to find the perfect website I can get scholarships and information from. Needless to say, I could never find the right one. That was, until I found CollegeXpress. Through my journey of finding the right scholarships for me, I was able to find articles about different things. They've all been helpful, especially in times like this! I was even able to connect with some of my favorite colleges! I love CollegeXpress. Thank you!

Tariq Adam Khatib

Tariq Adam Khatib

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me a lot. I am a Tanzania boy who finished my high school studies in Tanzania. I never knew I could get an opportunity to get a scholarship to study abroad. I am happy that now I know how to find the school to study abroad through CollegeXpress.

Katie

Katie

High School Class of 2019

My favorite feature of CollegeXpress is the scholarship search. As someone going out of state for college, I needed all the financial help I could get, and CollegeXpress helped me easily find scholarships I could apply for to help fund my education.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In