The nation's premier military academy, educating Army officers since 1802 with a rigorous integrated curriculum.
West Point grants a Bachelor of Science degree through a comprehensive curriculum balancing physical sciences, engineering, behavioral sciences, and social sciences. The academy offers 36 majors and operates 28 research centers. With a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 580 faculty members, cadets receive rigorous instruction integrated with military leadership training and mandatory competitive athletics. The curriculum traces its roots to Colonel Sylvanus Thayer's 1817 reforms, inspired by the French École Polytechnique, and remains accredited by regional and specialized bodies.
The 47-month West Point experience uniquely integrates academic, military, and physical programs to develop leaders of character. Cadets live by the motto 'Duty, Honor, Country' and undergo structured training in American military ethics, Army core values, and individual and small-unit leadership. The Cadet Honor Committee, established in 1922, reinforces ethical standards. Military training includes branch education and professional development, preparing graduates for commissioned officer roles in the U.S. Army.
Admission is highly competitive, with a 12% acceptance rate. Candidates must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, typically from a member of Congress. The Army fully funds tuition in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. About 1,300 cadets enter each July; approximately 1,000 graduate. Women have been admitted since 1976 and now comprise around 20% of entrants. The academy began admitting female cadets in 1976.
West Point fields 15 men's and nine women's NCAA Division I sports teams. Cadets compete in at least one sport each fall, winter, and spring season at intramural, club, or intercollegiate levels. The football team won three national championships in the early-to-mid 20th century. The 16,080-acre rural campus includes athletic facilities, the West Point Museum, and residential areas. Traditions include the class ring, Cullum number, Thayer Award, and the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition.
West Point alumni, collectively known as 'The Long Gray Line,' include U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant; Confederate President Jefferson Davis; generals Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, William Tecumseh Sherman, John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, Omar Bradley, and George Patton; poet Edgar Allan Poe; and 76 Medal of Honor recipients. The academy's graduates have shaped American military, political, and engineering history since its founding.