600 Thayer Road
West Point, NY 10996

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is the premier, highly selective military prep college in the country. Established two centuries ago, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point prepares men and women for military service and officer appointments in the U.S. military, as well as awarding college degrees. The selection process is highly competitive and cadets must be nominated by a member of Congress or Department of the Army. There are approximately 1,200 cadets who enter the academy each year.

To be eligible for recommendation, prospective cadets must also be at least 17 years of age, but younger than 23 by July 1 of the year of admission. They also must be single and under no financial obligation to support children. They also must pass physical, academic and medical requirements.

Students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point are cadets and each cadet enters military training from the first day they are at the academy. The first year the cadets undergo basic training and the second year, Cadet Field Training. The third and fourth year summers are spent training in military specializations on posts throughout the world. Upon graduation, cadets are commissioned in the U.S. Army and serve in active duty for a minimum of five years.

Life at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point isn't just about military training. Cadets take a core curriculum that leads to a bachelor of science degree. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has 13 academic departments: behavioral sciences and leadership, chemistry and life science, civil and mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, English, foreign languages, geography and environmental engineering, history, law, mathematical sciences, physics, social sciences and systems engineering. Cadets may select from 31 courses of study and 19 majors. Moral and ethical development is also important at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and students will attend guest lectures, engage with role models, voluntary religious programs and have formal instruction on the core values of the military. Approximately 4,000 students attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with 900 graduating at the end of the year.

Quick Facts:

There are over 50,000 alumni of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Among them: Ulysses S. Grant, John J. Pershing, Generals MacArthur, Eisenhower and Patton, Westmoreland and Schwarzkopf.

Approximately 15 percent of the student body is comprised of women.

There are over 100 opportunities for extracurricular activity at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Classes at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point are small and average fewer than 18 cadets per class. The student to teacher ratio is 8:1.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.