Academy ranks among best colleges in latest rankings

Civil engineering cadets participate in hands-on summer programs at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The civil engineering program is ranked among the top ten in the latest U.S. News Best Colleges report. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications 

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. News and World Report ranked the U.S. Air Force Academy as one of the nation’s best undergraduate educational institutions in its annual report released Monday.

The U.S. News Best Colleges report rates the Academy as second in the Top Public Schools category, up one spot from last year. The report also puts the Academy seventh overall in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category, up from eighteenth last year. Many of our engineering programs also rank among the top ten programs in the nation (at schools where a doctorate is not offered).

“Our position in these rankings reflects the incredible dedication of our faculty and academic staff,” said the Dean of the Faculty Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre. “Our faculty and staff aren’t just experts in their fields, they put in tremendous amounts of time to improve their teaching & mentorship capabilities so that their students reach their highest potential. I am so proud to see their hard work reflected in these rankings.”

The Academy offers 20 different departments and a broad core curriculum so cadets can find an area of study that interests and challenges them. The robust curriculum includes educational requirements that fill cadets’ schedules including athletics and military training. This makes for a well-rounded experience that prepares graduates as they commission as second lieutenants in the military.

Explore the majors and minors offered at the Academy.

U.S. Air Force Academy rankings, per U.S. News Best Colleges report 2023:

#2 Top Public Schools

#7 Top National Liberal Arts College

#7 Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs*

#7 Civil Engineering*

#9 Electrical Engineering*

#10 Mechanical Engineering*

* among schools where a doctorate is not offered.