United States Military Academy vs The Citadel

In the realm of military education, two esteemed institutions stand out: United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point and Citadel Military College of South Carolina. While both offer rigorous academic programs and a strong sense of military tradition, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. With acceptance rates of 11% and 30%, respectively, USMA is more selective in its admissions process. USMA's student body is predominantly male (89%) and White (73%), while Citadel's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of female (38%) and African American (13%) students. Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including engineering, social sciences, and business, but USMA boasts a higher graduation rate (87%) compared to Citadel's 67%. To help you make an informed decision about your military education, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table
Citadel Military College of South Carolina logo

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

United States Military Academy logo

United States Military Academy

Overview

Location Charleston, South Carolina West Point, New York
Campus setting City: Midsize Town: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 86.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.4% 10.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $40
SAT range N/A 1200 - 1440
ACT range N/A 28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score 78.0%
Students submitting ACT score 62.0%
Total number of applicants 2,470 13,955
Total number of admissions given out 2,134 1,488
Admitted students who chose to enroll 566 1,201
Yield rate 26.5% 80.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $48,551

Out of state: $71,807
Average net price $19,473
Tuition
In state: $8,356

Out of state: $30,857
Room & board $7,593
Available payment plans

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

79.0%
Average amount $11,451
Students receiving federal student loan 49.0%
Average amount $5,200
Students taking out private loans 17.0%
Average amount $26,781

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,718
Men 86.4% Women 13.6%
4,594
Men 76.3% Women 23.7%
Graduate students 975
Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
N/A
Out-of-state students 44.0% 93.8%
International students 1.1% N/A
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,372 4,700
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida New York Texas California New York Florida New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Psychology
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges EXEMPT

Outcome

Graduation rate 73.1% 83.6%
Dropout rate 9.1% 12.9%
Transferred out 16.0% 3.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,909
  • Year 2: $82,123
  • Year 3: $97,617
Engineering-Related Fields (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: $95,438
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,390
  • Year 2: $63,692
  • Year 3: $73,572
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,512
  • Year 2: $59,071
  • Year 3: $68,635
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,853
  • Year 2: $40,017
  • Year 3: $57,251
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,394
  • Year 2: $48,617
  • Year 3: $55,395
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,673
  • Year 2: $41,342
  • Year 3: $55,155
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,273
  • Year 2: $39,009
  • Year 3: $52,597
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,924
  • Year 2: $37,856
  • Year 3: $49,110
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $45,696
  • Year 3: $46,799
N/A

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