Address: 606 Thayer Road, 10996 West Point, New York, United States
Engineering (various), International Relations, Military History
Long before cadets arrived, West Point was a fortress: during the American Revolution the plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River was judged strategically important, and the site was fortified. The United States Military Academy was established there when President Thomas Jefferson signed the legislation of 16 March 1802, and the academy stands at West Point, New York, on the river’s western shore.
Its academic model owes much to Sylvanus Thayer, superintendent from 1817 and known as the Father of the Military Academy, who put engineering at the core of the curriculum. Women were admitted for the first time in 1976, when 119 women entered the class that would graduate in 1980.
The Corps of Cadets has an authorised strength of 4,400, a size that was reached after the corps nearly doubled during the 1960s. Graduates include two presidents, Ulysses S. Grant (class of 1843) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (class of 1915), as well as generals such as John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur and George S. Patton. The academy trains officer cadets for the United States Army, which sets it apart from civilian universities.
Domains taught:
Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Military, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Premier service academy for the U.S. Army. Highly competitive admissions. Focus on developing “leaders of character” for the Army and nation.
Research:
Undergraduate research opportunities, often in areas of engineering, military science, and national security. Faculty research supports Army needs.
Famous Alumnis:
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton, Buzz Aldrin (also MIT), Mike Krzyzewski
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1000
Current students***:
4400
Foreign students***:
0%
Cumulative former students***:
Pros
Provides a full scholarship and stipend, guaranteed employment as an Army officer, unparalleled leadership development, historic and prestigious institution.
Cons
Highly structured and demanding military environment, five-year service commitment, intense focus on military leadership.
Best For
Highly qualified young individuals aspiring to become officers in the U.S. Army, seeking a rigorous academic, military, and character-building education at a historic and prestigious institution.
United States Naval Academy, a public service academy in Annapolis, shares the officer-training mission and lists engineering, political science and oceanography.
The Air Force's own academy, United States Air Force Academy at USAF Academy, Colorado, teaches aerospace engineering, general engineering and military studies.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, a private technical university in the same state, concentrates on engineering, computer science and applied science.
Stevens Institute of Technology, private and located in Hoboken, is close to New York and lists engineering, computer science and financial engineering.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute is private and known for undergraduate engineering and computer science.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
France's École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is a public military school listing defence-related and military engineering fields.
ISAE-SUPAERO, also in France, is a public engineering school focused on aerospace and aeronautical engineering.
In the Netherlands, Technische Universiteit Delft is a public technical university known for aerospace and civil engineering.
Canada's Polytechnique Montréal is a public engineering school covering all engineering disciplines, including aerospace.
Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology is a public technology university with engineering and natural sciences at its core.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was West Point founded as a military academy?
Legislation signed by President Jefferson on 16 March 1802 established the United States Military Academy. The site had been a fortress during the American Revolution.
Where does the academy stand?
It is at West Point, New York, on the west bank of the Hudson River. The location was considered strategically important during the Revolution.
Who was Sylvanus Thayer?
Thayer served as superintendent from 1817 and is called the Father of the Military Academy. He made engineering central to the education offered to cadets.
How many cadets can the academy hold?
The Corps of Cadets has an authorised strength of 4,400. The corps grew sharply during the 1960s.
When did women first enter the academy?
Women were admitted from 1976, with 119 women in the first class that entered. Those cadets formed part of the class of 1980.
Which well-known people studied there?
Alumni include presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and military leaders such as Pershing, MacArthur and Patton. Each of them is recorded in the academy's own history.
How can someone find out about applying?
Entry to a service academy follows its own process, which is set out on the academy's admissions pages. Candidates should read those pages for current rules and deadlines rather than rely on older descriptions.
Engineering, Project Management, Quality Management, System Design, User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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