https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated December 9, 2021
Defense Primer: Military Service Academies
Overview
The U.S. military service academies are tuition-free, four-
year degree-granting institutions operated by the military
departments. The academies are a major officer
commissioning source, along with the Reserve Officer
Training Corps and Officer Candidate School. The military
service academies include the:
U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, New
York, under the Department of the Army;
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, Maryland,
under the Department of the Navy (Navy and Marine
Corps); and
U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs,
Colorado, under the Department of the Air Force (Air
Force and Space Force).
There are two other federal service academies, the U.S.
Coast Guard Academy, in New London, Connecticut, under
the Department of Homeland Security; and the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York, under
the Department of Transportation. While graduates of these
service academies may also receive an officer commission
upon graduation, they differ from the military service
academies in many respects (e.g., statutory authorities,
application and acceptance processes).
Academy Oversight and Leadership
The military academies are overseen by three entities: the
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness (OUSD/P&R), the service Secretaries, and the
Board of Visitors (BoV) of each academy. OUSD/P&R is
responsible for assessing academy operations and
establishing policies and guidance for uniform oversight
and management of the academies. The BoV serves as an
independent advisory body on matters related to morale,
discipline, social climate, curriculum, instruction, physical
equipment, fiscal affairs, and academic methods. By statute,
the BoV for each military academy includes three Members
from both the House and Senate, and the Chairs of the
Armed Services Committees or their designees. Two of the
Senate appointees must be members of the Committee on
Appropriations. The President appoints six additional
members to the Board.
All of the academies are led by a superintendent, a military
officer who is a general or admiral detailed (selected) to the
position by the President. By law, the superintendent serves
for a minimum of three years in the position. In 1999 (P.L.
105-65§532), Congress added a requirement that the
superintendent must retire from service at the end of the
appointment, although waivers are available in some cases.
Admissions
Admission to the service academies is competitive. In order
to be appointed to a service academy, an applicant must
meet certain eligibility requirements and be nominated by
an authorized person. Categories of nominations include
congressional, service-connected, academy superintendents
and others. Allocations for nominations are governed by
law. The military academies use a “whole person” approach
to admissions by assessing candidates in three areas:
academics, physical aptitude, and leadership potential. To
matriculate, a nominated applicant must be a U.S. citizen,
between 17 and 25 years old, unmarried, without legal
obligation to support any dependents, and not pregnant.
Foreign National Students
Limited numbers of foreign national students are admitted
each year. By statute, a maximum of 60 may be enrolled at
each academy. Candidates must exhibit proficiency in
English and high marks on standardized academic tests.
The Department of State and DOD determine eligible
countries, and invite these nations to nominate promising
candidates. Foreign students return to their host nation
following graduation and may incur a service obligation
with their country’s military.
Preparatory Schools
Each military department operates a preparatory school that
offers a 10-month curriculum of instruction, in English,
mathematics, science, and other academic areas, tailored to
the student’s needs and entrance requirements for each
academy. Individuals do not apply directly to the prep
school; they are selected from the pool of applicants to the
service academies. Initially conceived as a program to help
selected enlisted soldiers and sailors prepare academically
to meet the entrance standards, Congress and DOD have
also considered them as an avenue to increase access to the
academies for historically disadvantaged demographic
groups.
Enrollment
The student limit for each academy is 4,400 and each of the
academies admits between 1,100 and 1,350 students per
year. Women first entered the academies in 1976 and now
account for 23-30% of each academy’s student body. Table
1 shows demographics by race and ethnicity.
