U.S. Naval Academy acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
U.S. Naval Academy is a public university in Maryland that admits about 9% of applicants, which puts it in the most selective range. A rate like this means it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what U.S. Naval Academy weighs, where it ranks among Maryland schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1400, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is U.S. Naval Academy's acceptance rate?
U.S. Naval Academy admitted 1,379 of 14,727 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 9.3%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1210 to 1410 on the SAT and 25 to 31 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 29, 2026.
What do students study at U.S. Naval Academy?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into U.S. Naval Academy?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into U.S. Naval Academy, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into U.S. Naval Academy?
At U.S. Naval Academy, your real chance depends on far more than the published 9% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for U.S. Naval Academy in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is U.S. Naval Academy hard to get into?
U.S. Naval Academy is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 9% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into U.S. Naval Academy?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at U.S. Naval Academy, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. U.S. Naval Academy reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at U.S. Naval Academy by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at U.S. Naval Academy for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at U.S. Naval Academy with a 3.9 GPA and a 1310 SAT?
About 16% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1310 SAT, the middle of U.S. Naval Academy's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1410 SAT comes out near 19%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/us-naval-academy.
How to get into U.S. Naval Academy
Built from U.S. Naval Academy's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into U.S. Naval Academy comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at U.S. Naval Academy carries about a 3.90 core GPA and a 1360 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1210 to 1410 SAT (25 to 31 ACT). Submit a score at 1310 or higher; below 1210, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
U.S. Naval Academy rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by U.S. Naval Academy's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.usna.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to U.S. Naval Academy, and how many get in?
14,727 students applied to U.S. Naval Academy for fall 2023; 1,379 were admitted (9.4%). 1,175 enrolled. A yield that high means most admitted students choose U.S. Naval Academy over their other options, a sign the school is a first choice rather than a backup. U.S. Naval Academy enrolls about 4,474 undergraduates in total, 30% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for U.S. Naval Academy?
Admitted students at U.S. Naval Academy post SAT scores of 1210 to 1410 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1307. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 25 to 31. A score above 1410 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1210 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. U.S. Naval Academy is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What U.S. Naval Academy looks for
What U.S. Naval Academy weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
U.S. Naval Academy signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from U.S. Naval Academy's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at U.S. Naval Academy
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
What do U.S. Naval Academy graduates earn, and how many graduate?
93% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 97% return for a second year.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How U.S. Naval Academy compares in Maryland
U.S. Naval Academy ranks #2 most selective of 17 schools in Maryland in our database.
Among the 17 Maryland schools we track, U.S. Naval Academy ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Johns Hopkins University (6%) and University of Maryland (45%) sit nearby, which makes Maryland a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to U.S. Naval Academy
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If U.S. Naval Academy is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: UCLA, University of California, Berkeley, and U.S. Military Academy. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is U.S. Naval Academy's acceptance rate?
U.S. Naval Academy admitted 1,379 of 14,727 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 9.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 85% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for U.S. Naval Academy?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1210 to 1410 on the SAT and 25 to 31 on the ACT. A score above 1410 is in the top quarter of admits. U.S. Naval Academy is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is U.S. Naval Academy test-optional?
Yes. U.S. Naval Academy reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
What does U.S. Naval Academy value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, U.S. Naval Academy weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does U.S. Naval Academy favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, U.S. Naval Academy generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at U.S. Naval Academy?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at U.S. Naval Academy specifically.
How does residency affect admission to U.S. Naval Academy?
As a public university, U.S. Naval Academy typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.