A federal service academy in Colorado Springs, CO, admitting 14.09% of applicants with free tuition, a monthly stipend, and a five-year active duty service obligation.
USAF Academy, Colorado
The United States Air Force Academy is a federal service academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded in 1954 and operating at its permanent campus since 1958. It enrolls approximately 4,114 cadets in a four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force. Engineering, science, social sciences, and management account for the largest shares of academic majors.
The Air Force Academy is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). SAT or ACT scores are required for admission. Tuition, room, board, and medical care are fully paid by the federal government; cadets receive a monthly stipend (approximately $1,400 to $1,700 depending on class year) to cover personal expenses. Graduates incur a five-year active duty service obligation in the United States Air Force or Space Force after commissioning.
Official website: usafa.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the Air Force Academy scores 96.07 overall, rated Excellent. Outcomes (95.11) reflects an 87.51% six-year graduation rate and 96.04% first-year retention. Selectivity scores 92.70, reflecting a 14.09% admit rate and the additional requirement of a congressional nomination. Value and Affordability scores reflect the zero-cost structure; tuition is fully funded by the federal government. All scores use verified federal data only.
The Air Force Academy admits 14.09% of applicants. SAT or ACT scores are required; the Air Force Academy is among a small number of highly selective institutions that still require standardized tests. In addition to academic qualifications, applicants must obtain a nomination from a member of Congress (U.S.
Representative, Senator, or the Vice President), the President (for children of career military), or other official sources. Applicants must also pass a medical examination and a Candidate Fitness Assessment (aerobic capacity, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and a shuttle run). The application deadline is January 31; the nomination process should begin in the junior year of high school. The Air Force Academy does not accept transfer students.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether United States Air Force Academy is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The Air Force Academy is fully funded by the federal government: there is no tuition, and room, board, medical care, and uniforms are provided at no cost to cadets. Cadets receive a monthly stipend of approximately $1,400 to $1,700 depending on class year to cover personal expenses.
All costs are covered in exchange for the five-year active duty service obligation after graduation. There are no financial aid applications to complete; all admitted cadets receive the same zero-cost structure regardless of family income. Federal student loans are not part of the Air Force Academy experience; there is no loan rate or graduation debt.
The Air Force Academy graduates the large majority of cadets who enter the program. The six-year graduation rate is 87.51% for the Cadet Wing. First-year retention stands at 96.04%, one of the highest of any institution in the country. All graduates commission as officers in the United States Air Force or Space Force and begin their five-year active duty service obligation. There are no federal student loans and no graduation debt associated with Air Force Academy attendance.
The Air Force Academy enrolls approximately 4,114 cadets on its campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the base of Pikes Peak at approximately 7,000 feet elevation. White students account for 62.96% of cadets; Asian 8.43%, Hispanic 11.42%, and Black 5.23%. The Cadet Wing is subject to military discipline, uniform standards, and the regimentation of Air Force culture integrated with academic instruction.
Colorado Springs is a major military city, home to NORAD, Peterson Space Force Base, Fort Carson, and other installations. The Rocky Mountain setting provides exceptional outdoor recreation access; skiing, hiking, and climbing are common cadet activities. Falcon athletics compete at the NCAA Division I level; the Army-Navy-Air Force rivalry games are annual traditions.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at United States Air Force Academy. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
United States Air Force Academy offers a varied set of programs: 27 distinct programs across 14 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The Air Force Academy operates at an exceptional student-to-faculty ratio, with all cadets receiving small-section instruction. 100% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, the highest rate of any institution in this peer group. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $35,824 per year. The academic program covers aeronautical engineering, astronautical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, management, political science, history, and other fields; all cadets complete a common core curriculum. Aeronautical and astronautical engineering are the Air Force Academy's most distinctive academic programs.
224 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 64 | 29% | $118,780 |
| Associate Professors | 57 | 25% | $97,926 |
| Assistant Professors | 79 | 35% | $89,177 |
| Instructors | 24 | 11% | $64,342 |
The Air Force Academy's defining proposition is free four-year education, a monthly stipend, guaranteed employment as a commissioned Air Force or Space Force officer, and some of the most demanding aerospace and leadership training available to college-age students. UCD 96.07 Excellent. The considerations: the five-year active duty obligation means cadets commit through their late twenties; the application requires both academic qualification and a congressional nomination; SAT/ACT scores are required; Candidate Fitness Assessment and medical standards are strict; and cadet life involves military discipline and regimentation fundamentally different from civilian college.
The Air Force Academy is the right choice for students who specifically want to serve as Air Force or Space Force officers, are drawn to aviation and aerospace, and are prepared to accept the service commitment and the demanding culture of the Cadet Wing.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about the Air Force Academy: how the nomination process works, what cadets study, what the Colorado Springs setting is like, and what graduates do after service.
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