United States Air Force Academy
- Graduation Rate
- 88% A
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Acceptance Rate
- 14% A
- Rejects about 86 of every 100 applicants
- Enrollment
- 4,114
Bottom line: A B+ overall grade — strong outcomes across the board.
What The Data Says
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A B+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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A 88% graduation rate — 54% above the national average.
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Admits just 14% of applicants — one of the most selective institutions in the country.
Why United States Air Force Academy Matters
United States Air Force Academy is a public college in USAF Academy, CO and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate College
- Enrollment
- 4,114
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Engineering, Business & Marketing, Social Sciences, Biology & Biomedical
Why students choose United States Air Force Academy
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Highly selective — admits about 14% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1230–1440. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Net price isn't reported for this school — check the cost section for what data exists.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduate earnings aren't reported for this school yet.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 1.71 (Opportunity Insights).
See mobility →Overview
With an acceptance rate of just 14%, the United States Air Force Academy attracts driven students who are looking for a rigorous academic environment. This school is particularly well-suited for those interested in fields like Engineering, Business & Marketing, and the Sciences. Students here are not just pursuing degrees; they are training for leadership roles in the military and beyond, setting themselves up for a future where discipline and teamwork are as important as academic knowledge.
While specific earnings figures aren’t available, graduates from the Air Force Academy generally find themselves in strong positions after they leave. The high graduation rate of 88% indicates that students are not only completing their programs but are also well-prepared for the next steps in their careers. Many alumni move into various sectors, including military service and civilian careers, benefiting from a network that often leads to upward mobility in their professional lives.
When it comes to the financial side, we know that the cost after aid and the median debt figures aren’t specified. However, the Air Force Academy typically offers a unique arrangement where students can graduate without accumulating significant debt, thanks to military service commitments. This setup tends to attract those who are disciplined and committed to serving their country, making it an ideal environment for students who thrive under structure and have a clear sense of purpose.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective United States Air Force Academy is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into United States Air Force Academy? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in USAF Academy, Colorado, United States Air Force Academy sets a competitive bar: about 14% of applicants get an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,350. The graduation rate is roughly 88%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 14%
- Retention Rate
- 97%
- SAT Average
- 1350
- ACT Midpoint
- 32
- SAT Range
- 1230–1440
- ACT Range
- 26–33
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $11,610
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 7:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.57
- Applicants
- 8,353
- Admitted
- 1,356
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend United States Air Force Academy? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is United States Air Force Academy Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (963)
- 85%
- 100% (963)
- 85%
- 100% (963)
- 85%
- 100% (963)
- 85%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
Top Programs
The fields United States Air Force Academy awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Engineering 35%
- Business & Marketing 14%
- Social Sciences 8%
- Biology & Biomedical 8%
- Computer Science & IT 4%
- Legal Studies 3%
- Physical Sciences 3%
- Mathematics & Statistics 1%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for United States Air Force Academy's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into United States Air Force Academy? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in USAF Academy, Colorado, United States Air Force Academy sets a competitive bar: about 14% of applicants get an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,350. The graduation rate is roughly 88%.
How Connected Is United States Air Force Academy? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at United States Air Force Academy. Its economic connectedness score is 1.71, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to United States Air Force Academy.
- United States Military AcademyWest Point, NY · Close peer86% grad 12% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD · Close peer92% grad 9% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY · Close peer91% grad $85,139 earn 14% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA · Close peer88% grad $90,543 earn 18% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Rice UniversityHouston, TX · Close peer95% grad $89,718 earn 8% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT · Close peer92% grad $73,897 earn 16% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is United States Air Force Academy? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at United States Air Force Academy. Its economic connectedness score is 1.71, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note