Acceptance Rate
9%
Avg. SAT
1410
75th percentile
“Train as a naval officer in Annapolis's yacht-dotted harbor, where discipline forges leaders amid daily parades and plebe hazing rituals.”
Annapolis, MD
Location
Large Suburb
Campus Setting
You'll step into the United States Naval Academy, founded in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft after the USS Princeton disaster exposed the need for professionally trained officers—making it the second-oldest service academy after West Point. This isn't a typical college; every student is a midshipman sworn into the Navy on day one, living by an honor code that demands truthfulness and demands swift consequences for violations. The academy molds future admirals and astronauts through unyielding structure, attracting cadets who thrive on clear hierarchies, physical challenges, and patriotic service—think the straight-A athlete who leads the debate team and dreams of commanding a destroyer, not the free-spirited artist seeking late-night dorm parties. Annapolis envelops you in colonial charm: crab shacks line the waterfront, sailboats crowd the Severn River, and the historic State House whispers Revolutionary War tales just blocks away. But tradeoffs loom large—no privacy in massive group quarters, mandatory summer cruises instead of beach vacations, and a post-grad commitment to at least five years of active duty that locks in your path before you even declare a major.
Photo Gallery
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+19
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In classrooms buzzing with uniformed midshipmen reciting Newton's laws or dissecting naval strategy, you'll encounter an 8:1 student-faculty ratio that dwarfs most schools', enabling officers-turned-professors to drill concepts with military precision—expect pop quizzes on thermodynamics during morning formation. The academy shines in naval architecture, ocean engineering, and aerospace, where you design submersibles or simulate flight dynamics using Navy-funded labs; even humanities majors like political science grapple with ethics of warfare. Research pulls you into real-world projects, from Chesapeake Bay ecology to cyber defense with nearby NRL labs, but the intellectual culture prioritizes practical application over pure theory—less room for navel-gazing philosophy seminars. Tradeoffs include a fixed curriculum blending 65% STEM with naval science courses, limiting electives until junior year, and the constant pull of drill competing for study time.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
4,474 undergrad • 0 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
58%
Black / African American
6%
Hispanic / Latino
14%
Asian
10%
Other / Multi-racial
12%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Annapolis, MD
Varsity Athletics
Your week pulses with rhythm: reveille at 0530 blasts you from bunk in Bancroft Hall—the world's largest dormitory housing all 4,600 midshipmen—followed by classes, Wednesday noon parades where brass bands march under the chapel dome, and Saturday Army-Navy game tailgates sans beer (campus is dry). Company competitions fuel rivalries, from push-up contests to sail regattas on the Severn, while traditions like Plebe Summer's grueling indoctrination culminate in the grease-slicked climb of the 21-foot Herndon Monument, a rite senior yearlings cheer. Social life simmers through mixers, hops (formal dances), and 100+ clubs, but expect structured dating—no unchaperoned overnights—and a brotherhood forged in shared misery that bonds tighter than most fraternities. Challenges hit hard: relentless evaluations breed stress, winter winds off the Bay chill bone-deep, and the honor system's zero-tolerance weeds out the dishonest, leaving a vibe of intense camaraderie laced with exhaustion.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Athletics
Athletic Association
NCAA
Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
97%
4 Years Graduation Rate
90%
6 Years Graduation Rate
91%
97% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at United States Naval Academy and return in the fall. 90% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 91% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
90%
4-6 years
1%
Non-grad
9%
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Annapolis, MD 21402-1300
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