The United States Air Force Academy Admissions: Everything You Want to and Need to Know

Overview of United States Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, features an 18,455-acre site that is both an Air Force base and an undergraduate university. It also boasts a Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1 and delivers a high-quality education tuition-free. When they graduate, students must serve five years in the Air Force.

Enrollment

The United States Air Force Academy currently has an enrollment of 4,336 (all undergraduate).

Academic Programs Offered

Military Academy

NCAA Athletic Programs

The Air Force Falcons play in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference.

Overview of United States Air Force Academy Admissions

The United States Air Force Academy is currently one of the nation’s most selective institutions with a low acceptance rate and high mean SAT/ACT scores. However, the Air Force Academy boasts a streamlined admissions process, which includes factors beyond your grades and test scores. The academy requires all candidates to participate in an interview and complete a physical fitness exam. Admitted candidates typically demonstrate leadership potential, meaningful extracurricular involvement, and athletic ability—the more impressive your grades and standardized test scores, the better your chances of admission.

Enrollment

  • Total Enrollment: 4,336 (all undergraduates)
  • Gender Breakdown: 73 percent male/27 percent female
  • 100 percent full-time

Cost of Attendance Information

  • N/A

Financial Aid Information

  • N/A

Academic Programs Offered

  • Most Popular Majors: Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Retention and Graduation

  • First-Year Student Retention (full-time students): 95 percent
  • 4-Year Graduation Rate: 94 percent

NCAA Athletic Programs

  • Men’s Sports: Football, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Track and Field, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Wrestling, Ice Hockey, Swimming and Diving, Water Polo, Fencing, Gymnastics
  • Women’s Sports: Track and Field, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Softball, Soccer, Fencing, Swimming and Diving, Gymnastics

Admissions Data

During the 2018-19 admissions phase, the U.S. Air Force Academy had an acceptance rate of 12%.  for every 100 students who submitted applications, 12 students gained admission, making Air Force’s admissions process highly competitive. The United States Air Force Academy wants all applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions phase, 64% of admitted students provided SAT scores.

SAT and ACT  Requirements and Scores

This admissions data reveals that many of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s students score within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing, 50% of students scored between 610 and 690, and 25% scored under 610, and 25% scored more than 690. In the math section, 50% of students scored between 620 and 720, while 25% scored under 620, and 25% scored over 720. Students with an overall SAT score of 1410 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at the U.S.  Air Force Academy.

The U.S. Air Force Academy doesn’t require the SAT writing section. The Air Force Academy participates in the score choice program. This means that the admissions officer will consider your highest score from each section across all SAT dates. If you score under 580 on the ERW section and 560 on the math section of the SAT, you will not typically be competitive for an Air Force Academy appointment. If you score under 24 on the English section and 25 on the math/science section of the ACT, it will be difficult for you to gain admittance to the Air Force Academy.

The U.S. Air Force Academy wants all applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions phase, 58% of admitted students sent ACT scores.

Safety Net Schools: Easy to Gain Admission

If past admission data predicts that you would be a competitive candidate for U.S. Air Force Academy, then it should be easy for you to gain admissions to the schools below. If U.S. Air Force Academy is currently out of your reach, then you are sure to be a competitive candidate for the schools below.

Syracuse University, Drexel University, University of Cincinnati, Penn State University Park, United States Military Academy, Hofstra University, Temple University

Same Tier: Just As Hard to Gain Admission

If you’re a competitive candidate for U.S. Air Force Academy, then you should have an equal chance of gaining admissions at these schools.

Syracuse University, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Stony Brook University, the University of Texas at Dallas, University of Connecticut, University of California, Irvine, Rochester Institute of Technology, American University

Reach Institutions: Gaining Admissions Will Be More of a Challenge

These schools are more challenging to gain admission into than U.S. Air Force Academy. If you improve your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, then you’ll be a competitive candidate for these schools.

The University of Michigan, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York University, Boston University, Boston College, Villanova University, Binghamton University

Applying to the United States Military Academy

Application Deadline: December 31

Undergraduate Admissions Website: https://www.academyadmissions.com/

Undergraduate Application Link(s): https://www.academyadmissions.com/apply/

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