West Point: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

West Point
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The United States Military Academy is a federal service academy with an acceptance rate of 10.3%. West Point is highly selective, and the application process is different from many other schools. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including U.S. citizenship, age, and marital status. Students who meet eligibility requirements can submit a candidate questionnaire which will determine if they are competitive to become an Official Candidate for admission. Applicants must also receive a nomination from a senator, member of Congress, or service member. Other components to the Army application include a medical exam, fitness assessment, and a nomination interview.

Considering applying to West Point? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including the average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Why West Point?

  • Location: West Point, New York
  • Campus Features: West Point occupies an enviable spot on the Hudson River, 50 miles north of New York City. Established in 1801, the entire main campus is a designated National Historic Landmark.
  • Student/Faculty Ratio: 7:1
  • Athletics: The West Point Black Knights compete in the NCAA Division I Patriot League.
  • Highlights: West Point delivers a high quality education in the liberal arts tradition for free, and students are even given a small salary. Students have a five-year service requirement after graduation.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, West Point had an acceptance rate of 10.3%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 10 students were admitted, making West Point's admissions process highly competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 11,675
Percent Admitted 10.3%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 98%

SAT Range and Requirements

The United States Military Academy requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 88% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 570 680
Math 590 700
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of West Point's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to West Point scored between 570 and 680, while 25% scored below 570 and 25% scored above 680. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 590 and 700, while 25% scored below 590 and 25% scored above 700. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1380 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at West Point.

Requirements

The U.S. Military Academy requires the SAT writing section. Note that The Academy participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest scores from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

The U.S. Military Academy requires that all applicants submit SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 78% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 28 35
Math 27 32
Composite 25 30

This admissions data tells us that most of West Point's admitted students fall within the top 22% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to West Point received a composite ACT score between 25 and 30, while 25% scored above 30 and 25% scored below 25.

Requirements

The U.S. Military Academy requires the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, West Point superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of the U.S. Military Academy's incoming freshmen class was 3.90, and 75% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. This data suggests that most successful applicants to West Point have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The United States Military Academy Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
The United States Military Academy Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.  Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to the United States Military Academy. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

The United States Military Academy is one of the country's most selective colleges with a low acceptance rate and high average GPAs and SAT/ACT scores. However, West Point has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. The U.S. Military Academy looks at the rigor of your high school courses, not just your grades. The Academy requires all candidates to complete an interview and pass a physical fitness assessment. Winning candidates typically demonstrate leadership potential, meaningful extracurricular involvement, and athletic ability.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Most successful applicants had a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and they also tended to have SAT scores above 1200 (ERW+M) and an ACT composite score of 25 or higher. The higher those grades and test scores, the better the chance of admission to West Point.

Tuition Costs and Benefits

The U.S. Military Academy pays 100% of the tuition, room and board, and medical and dental care for cadets. This is in return for five years of active-duty service upon graduation, and three years in an inactive reserve status.

First-year cadet pay is $1,116 monthly (as of 2019) before deductions for uniforms, textbooks, a personal computer, and other incidentals.

Cost-reducing perks include regular active-duty benefits such as access to military commissaries and exchanges, commercial transportation, and lodging discounts. Army cadets can also fly (space available) in military aircraft around the world.

If You Like West Point, You May Also Like These Schools

Applicants to the United States Military Academy at West Point are likely to look at the nation's other military academies: the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis), the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and the United States Military Academy Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "West Point: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/west-point-admissions-788218. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 29). West Point: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/west-point-admissions-788218 Grove, Allen. "West Point: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/west-point-admissions-788218 (accessed March 19, 2024).