United States Naval Academy vs. United States Military Academy at West Point
Same uniform, same deal, and you might assume the choice comes down to which name carries more weight. It doesn't. What you study, and what you fly or sail or march into afterward, splits these two cleanly. Annapolis trains officers for the Navy and the Marine Corps, and it teaches like a school that has to put graduates onto ships and submarines: engineering and the technical sciences carry the largest share of the brigade, and every midshipman walks out with a Bachelor of Science. West Point sends you into the Army, and its degrees spread far wider. Engineering and the social sciences run almost neck and neck there, with leadership and behavioral science holding real ground, so a cadet can major well outside the lab. Both cost you nothing in tuition. Both demand a congressional or military nomination on top of the file, a fitness test, a medical exam, and at least five years on active duty once you commission. So weigh the career, not the crest. If you want a sea, air, or submarine path built on a technical core, the Naval Academy belongs on your list; if you want the room to study people and lead them, West Point keeps that door open in a way Annapolis does not.
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Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Admissions
Naval Academy does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
Naval Academy requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Naval Academy does not report this.
Not reported
Admissions Factors
Naval Academy does not report this.
Not reported
Cost of Attendance
What it costs to attend Naval Academy — fully covered for every cadet.
As a U.S. service academy, United States Naval Academy charges no tuition or fees. Tuition, food, housing, and medical care are fully funded by the federal government, and students receive a monthly salary in exchange for a military service commitment after graduation.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Admissions
West Point does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
West Point requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where West Point's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 99% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. West Point does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How West Point weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
What it costs to attend West Point — fully covered for every cadet.
As a U.S. service academy, United States Military Academy at West Point charges no tuition or fees. Tuition, food, housing, and medical care are fully funded by the federal government, and students receive a monthly salary in exchange for a military service commitment after graduation.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Naval Academy vs. West Point: frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into the Naval Academy or West Point?＋
The Naval Academy admits the tighter share: about 8.8% of applicants get in, against 12.5% at West Point. It also draws the larger pool, roughly 16,000 applications to West Point's 12,300, yet both seat almost identical incoming classes near 1,200 midshipmen or cadets. The acceptance rate tells only half the story, since each academy also requires a nomination (usually congressional), a medical exam, and a fitness assessment.
Do the Naval Academy and West Point have similar SAT and ACT scores?＋
Their testing profiles land close, and neither academy went test-optional. Naval Academy's middle 50% scored 1210 to 1410 on the SAT and 25 to 31 on the ACT; West Point's spans 1210 to 1420 on the SAT and a slightly higher 27 to 33 on the ACT. West Point also publishes an average admitted GPA near 4.10 and rates test scores a very important factor, while Annapolis reports no average GPA, so midshipmen and cadets arrive with comparably strong academics.
Is the Naval Academy or West Point better for engineering?＋
Engineering runs deeper at the Naval Academy: it claims the largest field there at about 42% of degrees, with the technical sciences adding another 17%. West Point grants engineering at a lower 29% of degrees because it pours nearly as much weight into the social sciences, around 28%. If you want an engineering-first program the Naval Academy concentrates harder, though West Point folds engineering into a wider academic mix.
What are the most popular majors at the Naval Academy vs West Point?＋
Engineering tops both lists, but the two diverge fast after that. At the Naval Academy it dominates around 42% of degrees, trailed by the social sciences near 20% and the sciences near 17%. West Point spreads more evenly, engineering and the social sciences nearly tied at roughly 29% and 28%, plus sizable blocks in behavioral science and leadership and in management that Annapolis doesn't break out. West Point carries the broader non-technical menu, while the Naval Academy clusters in engineering and the sciences.
How much do the Naval Academy and West Point cost?＋
Neither charges a dime. Both run as federal service academies with no tuition or fees: the Navy covers tuition, room, board, and medical care at Annapolis, and the Army covers the same at West Point, with midshipmen and cadets each drawing a monthly stipend. What you owe is time, not money. Graduates of either commit to at least five years of active-duty service, as Navy or Marine Corps officers from the Naval Academy and as Army officers from West Point.
Which is bigger, the Naval Academy or West Point, and what's the setting like?＋
Size barely separates them, about 4,474 undergraduates at the Naval Academy and 4,473 at West Point, every student living on campus at both. Classes stay small either way, with a student-faculty ratio near 8 to 1 at the Naval Academy and 6 to 1 at West Point. Geography splits them most: the Naval Academy sits on the water in Annapolis, Maryland, while West Point holds a bluff above the Hudson River north of New York City.
Source: United States Naval Academy Common Data Set 2023-2024. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. Acceptance Rate is from the Class of 2029 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Naval Academy. Banner photo by Bnordlund, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).
Source: United States Military Academy at West Point Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with West Point. Banner photo by U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).