Match #1
United States Military Academy at West Point
West Point, NY
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate12%
- 4,408 students
- Public
- Town: Fringe
- Graduation rate 86%, close to 84%
- Enrollment 4,408 students, close to 4,114
The colleges most similar to United States Air Force Academy are United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and United States Coast Guard Academy. United States Air Force Academy admits 14% of applicants; 8 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with United States Air Force Academy. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Closest matches
Algorithm-ranked matches similar to United States Air Force Academy
Match #2
United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
Annapolis, MD
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate9%
- 4,474 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 88%, close to 84%
- Enrollment 4,474 students, close to 4,114
Match #3
United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT
Profile closeness63/100
Admit rate22%
- 1,108 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Acceptance rate 22%, close to 14%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #4
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY
Profile closeness62/100
Admit rate34%
- 962 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 78%, close to 84%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Angelo State University
San Angelo, TX
Profile closeness32/100
Admit rate83%
- 5,643 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Enrollment 5,643 students, close to 4,114
- Same control type (public)
Match #6
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY
Profile closeness40/100
Admit rate97%
- 7,944 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
Profile closeness39/100
Admit rate82%
- 15,142 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Profile closeness49/100
Admit rate38%
- 23,300 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 88%, close to 84%
- Same control type (public)
Match #9
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
Profile closeness46/100
Admit rate46%
- 26,816 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 82%, close to 84%
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Main Campus
Knoxville, TN
Profile closeness40/100
Admit rate42%
- 30,418 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Same control type (public)
AI-assisted picks
Editor-curated list for United States Air Force Academy
Match #1
United States Military Academy at West Point
West Point, NY
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate12%
- 4,408 students
- Public
- Town: Fringe
- Graduation rate 86%, close to 84%
- Enrollment 4,408 students, close to 4,114
Match #2
United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
Annapolis, MD
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate9%
- 4,474 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 88%, close to 84%
- Enrollment 4,474 students, close to 4,114
Match #3
United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT
Profile closeness63/100
Admit rate22%
- 1,108 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Acceptance rate 22%, close to 14%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #4
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate71%
- 1,527 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
Match #5
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
Profile closeness—
Admit rate23%
- 2,705 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
Match #6
Norwich University
Northfield, VT
Profile closeness—
Admit rate74%
- 2,428 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
Match #7
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX
Profile closeness—
Admit rate57%
- 59,615 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
Match #8
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate95%
- 1,395 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
Match #9
Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME
Profile closeness—
Admit rate54%
- 942 students
- Public
- Rural: Distant
Match #10
California State University Maritime Academy
Vallejo, CA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate95%
- 804 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
Questions about United States Air Force Academy alternatives
What colleges are similar to United States Air Force Academy?
The closest matches to United States Air Force Academy are United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Angelo State University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is United States Air Force Academy hard to get into?
United States Air Force Academy admitted 14% of its 11,687 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is highly selective. 8 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
