Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
United States Air Force Academy admits about 1 in 7 applicants (14%). That puts it in the "Highly selective" tier, more selective than 96% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.
Out of every 100 applicants…
The funnel
Men and women were admitted at similar rates (14% and 14%).
No application fee
Grants credit for AP exams
Yield
78% of admitted students enroll, one of the highest nationally.
No wait list
Applying early
Doesn't offer early decision or early action
Where you stand
How United States Air Force Academy reads a record
, GPA, class rank, and tests are all very important. 85% of first-years who sent test scores had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight. Scores are required. 60% of first-years sent an SAT and 40% an ACT. Of the 100% whose high school reported a rank, 55% were in the top tenth.
What they look at
- High school GPA
- Required
- High school record
- Required
- Class rank
- Required
- College-prep program
- Not considered
- Recommendations
- Required
- Essay
- Required
- Legacy status
- Not considered
- Work experience
- Required
- Demonstration of competencies
- Not considered
- English proficiency test
- Not considered
- Other tests
- Not considered
Transferring in
Does not enroll transfer students
Applying
The regular round, as the college reports it. Early rounds have their own dates.
- Apply by December 31 for fall 2021.
- Decisions are sent on a rolling basis starting October 15.
On the admissions map
↑ SAT midpoint (higher = higher scores)
Fall 2020 first-years
First-years' high school GPA
Average GPA 3.86
High schools grade differently, and colleges recalculate or weight GPAs their own way, so compare this college only with itself.
First-years by high school GPA (4.0 scale)
- 4.025%
- 3.75–3.9961%
- 3.50–3.749%
- 3.25–3.496%
- 3.00–3.240%
- below 3.00%
The middle half had GPAs of 3.75–3.99.
All nine bands
| GPA | Sent test scores |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 24.6% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 61.0% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 8.8% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 5.5% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 0.0% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 0.0% |
| 2.0–2.49 | 0.0% |
| 1.0–1.99 | 0.0% |
| below 1.0 | 0.0% |
55% were in the top tenth of their high school class, 82% in the top quarter, of the 100% whose high school reported a rank.
Source:United States Air Force Academy Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2020About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Test scores
What enrolled first-years scored
The typical enrolled first-year who sent scores is around 1335 on the SAT, 165 points above the median for colleges that report scores.
Required
Send SAT or ACT scores: they're required to be considered. For students who entered in fall 2024.
Where would you land?
Middle 50% of enrolled first-years who sent scores This college's median National median midpoint
Who submitted scores?
submitted SAT
submitted ACT
At least half of students submitted a score, so the ranges are reasonably representative.
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;United States Air Force Academy Common Data Set 2020–21, 2020–21;United States Air Force Academy Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2020;United States Air Force Academy Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2021 cycleAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)