United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
United States Naval Academy Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Maryland
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Maryland
- #2 Best Public Colleges in Maryland
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #3 Best Colleges in Maryland 2026
- #5 Engineering Liberal Arts Colleges
- #6 Earth Sciences Liberal Arts Colleges
- #9 Physics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #9 Computer Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #9 Math Liberal Arts Colleges
- #10 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #10 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #10 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #10 Chemistry Liberal Arts Colleges
- #11 History Liberal Arts Colleges
- #12 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
- #40 Best Public Colleges
- #42 Best Public Grad Schools
About United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (USNA) was founded in 1845, making it the second-oldest of the five US military service academies. The Naval Academy’s student body numbers around 4,500 “midshipmen” (as undergraduates are called).
Academically, USNA is best known for its programs in the physical sciences, in computer and information sciences, and in engineering—including aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering; electrical, electronics, and communications engineering; and naval architecture and marine engineering.
USNA is associated with one Nobel Prize laureate, Albert A. Michelson for physics.
Other distinguished USNA connected individuals include the following:
- Nineteenth-century naval officer and historian, Alfred Thayer Mahan
- Inventor and television pioneer, Philo T. Farnsworth
- Science fiction novelist, Robert A. Heinlein
- Actors, Warren Stephens and Anthony Alabi
- Singer-songwriter, John Phillips
- Television personality, Montel Williams
- Rear Admiral and leader of the first expedition to reach the South Pole by air, Robert E. Byrd
- Rear Admiral and Project Mercury astronaut, Alan Shepard, who was the first American to travel to outer space
- Naval aviator and Project Apollo astronaut, Jim Lovell, who flew on the first manned mission to orbit the moon
- First female US Marine combat fighter pilot, Amy McGrath
- First black female naval aviator and tactical jet fighter pilot, Madeline Swegle
- US Marine lieutenant colonel, Oliver North, who was a controversial member of the National Security Council under President Ronald Reagan
- Former US Navy SEAL and founder of Blackwater USA, Erik Prince
- Senior World War II admirals— Ernest J. King, Chester W. Nimitz, William F. Halsey, Jr., Raymond A. Spruance, Arleigh A. Burke, and Marc Andrew “Pete” Mitscher
- Post-war admiral known as the “father of the nuclear navy”, Hyman G. Rickover
- Founder and CEO of Electronic Data Systems and 1992 third-party presidential candidate, Ross Perot
- Current US Representatives—Elaine Luria, Mikie Sherrill, and Mike Garcia
- Former US Senator, John McCain
- Current US Senator, Todd Young
- 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter
USNA is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
According to Wikipedia, The United States Naval Academy is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the second oldest of the five U.S. service academies and it educates midshipmen for service in the officer corps of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The campus is located on the former grounds of Fort Severn at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County, east of Washington, D.C., and southeast of Baltimore. The entire campus, known colloquially as the Yard, is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments. It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum in Philadelphia that had served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845 when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis.
United States Naval Academy Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,727 | 9% | 97% | 88% | 1310 | 28 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does United States Naval Academy Cost To Attend?
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
United States Naval Academy's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 4,671 | 4,671 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is United States Naval Academy?
United States Naval Academy is located at 121 Blake Road, Annapolis, MD 21402-1300.
How Safe is United States Naval Academy?
Annapolis has a violent crime rate of 0.81% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 2.11%. Sources: city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is United States Naval Academy Known For?
United States Naval Academy is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Engineering
- Political Science
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Sociology
United States Naval Academy's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much United States Naval Academy's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
United States Naval Academy ranks #42 in the U.S. and #137 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #54 in the U.S. and #176 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #54 in the U.S. and #139 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #74 in the U.S. and #275 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #91 in the U.S. and #384 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #117 in the U.S. and #444 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #124 in the U.S. and #350 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #142 in the U.S. and #653 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #145 in the U.S. and #540 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #203 in the U.S. and #977 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUnited States Naval Academy ranks #443 in the U.S. and #1535 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are United States Naval Academy's Most Influential Alumni?
United States Naval Academy's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, History, and Engineering. Here are some of United States Naval Academy's most famous alumni:
- Jim Lovell
- An American astronaut.
- Robert A. Heinlein
- An American author and aeronautical engineer .
- Oliver North
- An American political commentator.
- George Dewey
- A United States Navy admiral.
- Alfred Thayer Mahan
- A United States Navy admiral and historian.
- John McCain
- An American politician and military officer .
- Chester W. Nimitz
- A United States Navy fleet admiral.
- Hyman G. Rickover
- A United States admiral. Hyman G. Rickover is Father of the Nuclear Navy.
- Scott Carpenter
- An American test pilot, astronaut and aquanaut .
- Albert A. Michelson
- A Polish physicist.
- Richard E. Byrd
- An American naval officer, explorer .
- Michael Mullen
- A U.S. Navy admiral and 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Who Are United States Naval Academy's Most Influential Faculty?
United States Naval Academy's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, History, and Engineering. Here are some of United States Naval Academy's most famous faculty:
