United States Military Academy

"West Point" redirects here. For the CDP where the academy is located, see West Point, New York. For other uses, see West Point (disambiguation).

United States Military Academy
MottoDuty • Honor • Country[1]
TypeU.S. Service Academy
Established16 March 1802; 222 years ago (1802-03-16)[2]
Endowment$422 million (2022)[3]
SuperintendentLieutenant General Steven W. Gilland
DeanBrigadier General Shane R. Reeves[4]
Commandant of CadetsBrigadier General R.J. Garcia
Academic staff
580
Students4,294 cadets[5]
Location
West Point, New York
,
United States
CampusRural – 16,080 acres (6,507.3 ha)
Fight songOn, Brave Old Army Team
ColorsBlack, gold, and gray[6]
     
NicknameBlack Knights
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division I – PL
AHA CSFL EIGL EIWA NCA AAC
MascotMule
Websitewestpoint.edu
United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy is located in New York
United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy is located in the United States
United States Military Academy
Coordinates41°23′35″N 73°57′29″W / 41.393°N 73.958°W / 41.393; -73.958
NRHP reference No.66000562
NYSRHP No.07103.000261
Significant dates
Added to NRHP15 October 1966
Designated NHL19 December 1960
Designated NYSRHP23 June 1980

The United States Military Academy (USMA, West Point, or Army[7]) is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort during the American Revolutionary War, as it sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. The academy was founded in 1802, and it is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army. The academic program grants the Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets' performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics.

Candidates for admission must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Other nomination sources include the president and vice president.[8] Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as "cadets" or collectively as the "United States Corps of Cadets" (USCC). The Army fully funds tuition for cadets in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. About 1,300 cadets enter the academy each July, with about 1,000 cadets graduating.

The academy's traditions have influenced other institutions because of its age and unique mission. It was the first American college to have an accredited civil engineering program and the first to have class rings, and its technical curriculum became a model for engineering schools. West Point's student body has a unique rank structure and lexicon. The academy fields 15 men's and nine women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports teams. Cadets compete in one sport every fall, winter, and spring season at the intramural, club, or intercollegiate level. Its football team was a national power in the early and mid-20th century, winning three national championships. Among the country's public institutions, the academy is the top producer of Marshall and Rhodes scholars.[9][10] Its alumni are collectively referred to as "The Long Gray Line," which include U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant; Confederate President Jefferson Davis; Confederate general Robert E. Lee; American poet Edgar Allan Poe; U.S. generals Douglas MacArthur and George Patton; presidents of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Philippines; and 76 Medal of Honor recipients.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference motto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference founding was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ As of 7 March 2022. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2021 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY20 to FY21 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  4. ^ Gracia, Jorge (3 June 2021). "West Point promotes, recognizes new Dean during COR ceremony". dvidshub.net.
  5. ^ "Army Now Down to 496,079". Army Times. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  6. ^ Official Colors (PDF). 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2019. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Wire, S. I. (13 April 2015). "Army unveils new name, uniforms and logo in athletics rebrand". SI.com.
  8. ^ United States Military Academy, West Point. "West Point Admissions".
  9. ^ "Statistics". www.marshallscholarship.org. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. ^ "US Rhodes Scholars Over Time". www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2020.