A
Public 4 Year

USAFA Admission Requirements

USAFA, Colorado

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Chances of getting into United States Air Force Academy

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
12%
Admission Difficulty for United States Air Force Academy
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Exceptional 
Applicant Competition Very High 
How hard is it to get into USAFA and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at USAFA is 12%.  It ranks #1 in Colorado and #35 in the nation for lowest rate of acceptance. USAFA is a very highly competitive school to get into with a low chance of acceptance for typical applicants. Last year, 1,453 out of 11,687 applicants were admitted.

The school has extremely high admission requirements for SAT and ACT scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 9 percent (SAT 1208/1490 ACT 29/34). United States Air Force Academy typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.81. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top ten percent of their high school class. Of those applicants who were admitted, 75% chose to enroll. This indicates that admission to the school is highly desirable and is a top choice for many students.

Testing Requirements

You are required to submit admission test scores with your application. United States Air Force Academy is not a test optional school. Note: Please consult the school directly to confirm the most up to date testing requirements.

USAFA SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1208-1490
Applicants Submitting SAT 
35%
SAT Scores for United States Air Force Academy
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 590
SAT Math 25th 618
SAT Composite 25th 1208
SAT Scores for United States Air Force Academy
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 730
SAT Math 75th 760
SAT Composite 75th 1490
Average SAT Score 1350

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to United States Air Force Academy?

Students who get into United States Air Force Academy score in the top 100 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1208-1490. The school consistently admits SAT composite scores down to 1208 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1070. The average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1350 out of 1600. USAFA ranks #2 in Colorado and #116 in the nation for highest average SAT composite score. 35 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

United States Air Force Academy admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1490 and Above Good >21%
1349 to 1490 Avg + 12%-21%
1208 to 1349 Avg - 7%-12%
1067 to 1208 Reach 4%-7%
Less than 1067 Low <4%
Calculate My Chances 

USAFA ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
29-34 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
21%
ACT Scores for United States Air Force Academy
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 28
ACT Math 25th 29
ACT Composite 25th 29
ACT Scores for United States Air Force Academy
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 35
ACT Math 75th 33
ACT Composite 75th 34
Average ACT Score 31

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into USAFA?

USAFA regularly accepts students who score 29 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 9 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 29-34. We estimate the school accepting a minimum ACT composite score around 26 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 32 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 34 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #2 in Colorado and #76 in the U.S. for highest average ACT composite score. 21 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to United States Air Force Academy.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

United States Air Force Academy admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
34 and Above Good >23%
31 to 34 Avg + 12%-23%
29 to 31 Avg - 8%-12%
27 to 29 Reach 5%-8%
Less than 27 Low <5%
Calculate My Chances 

USAFA GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.81
Typical High School Grades 
A-

What GPA do you need to get into United States Air Force Academy?

Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into USAFA. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at United States Air Force Academy was 3.81 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #4 in Colorado for highest average GPA. Meeting these GPA requirements alone is not enough to gain admission as USAFA is a very selective school.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

High School GPA's for admitted United States Air Force Academy students
High School GPA Freshmen Within Range Competitiveness 
4.0 29.1% Good
3.75 to 3.99 54.9% Avg -
3.50 to 3.74 9.8% Reach
3.25 to 3.49 5.5% Reach
3.00 to 3.24 0.4% Reach
2.50 to 2.99 0.3% Low
2.00 to 2.49 0% Low
1.00 to 1.99 0% Low
less than 1.00 0% Low

GPA Data Source, Peterson's Data 2022

High School Class Rank

52.8% of United States Air Force Academy freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted United States Air Force Academy students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 52.8%
Top 25% of class 81.1%
Top 50% of class 97%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

United States Air Force Academy admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 3,782 7,905 11,687
Accepted 451 1,002 1,453
Acceptance Rate 12% 13% 12%
Enrolled 322 769 1,091
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 71% 77% 75%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to United States Air Force Academy is $0. The school is free to apply to.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to United States Air Force Academy and what student information is used for admission decisions?

United States Air Force Academy Application Requirements
Test Scores Required
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program Recommended
Recommendations Required
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at United States Air Force Academy
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit No
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=128328 IPEDS survey data for United States Air Force Academy.

FAQs

Does United States Air Force Academy prefer SAT or ACT?

35% of students submit their SAT scores to USAFA. 21% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into United States Air Force Academy?

12% of those who apply are granted admission to USAFA. Admission competition is very high and the college has exceptional admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for United States Air Force Academy?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1208 and 1490. 35% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for United States Air Force Academy?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 29 and 34. 21% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.