Accreditation & Assessment

West Point is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The Academy is committed to institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement.

Accreditation & Assessment

West Point is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The Academy is committed to institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement.

Accreditation

Accreditation is a mechanism developed to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accreditation is both a status and a process. 

As a status, accreditation provides public notification that an institution or program meets the standards of quality set forth by an accreditation agency. As a process, accreditation reflects the institution's or program's commitment to self-study and external review by its peers - not only to meet standards, but also to continuously enhance the quality of education and training provided.

Accreditation agencies are private educational associations that develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether these criteria are met. Institutions or programs must meet an agency's criteria to be accredited by that agency.

The United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Information is available at msche.org.  

USMA was first accredited by MSCHE in 1949 and reaccredited each successive decade.  West Point’s accreditation was reaffirmed in 2021.  View a copy of the current statement of accreditation on the MSCHE website.

The next program accreditation visit for West Point is scheduled for 2027-2028.

Middle States can be contacted at communications@msche.org or via USPS at 1007 North Orange Street; 4th Floor, MB #166; Wilmington, DE 19801.  

USMA also has a number of accredited majors.   

The following USMA majors are, and have been continuously accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Criteria and the program criteria shown since the initial date shown:

  • Chemical Engineering, Oct. 1, 2012 – under the Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular, and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Civil Engineering, Oct. 1, 1985 – under the Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Electrical Engineering, Oct. 1, 1985 - under the Electrical, Electronics and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • ​Engineering Management, Oct. 1, 1985 - under the Engineering Management and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Environmental Engineering, Oct. 1, 1995 - under the Environmental Engineering and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Mechanical Engineering, Oct. 1, 1985 - Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Nuclear Engineering, Oct. 1, 2007​ - under the Nuclear, Radiological and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Systems Engineering, Oct. 1, 1995 – under the Systems and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
Visit ABET website

The following USMA majors are and have been continuously accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Criteria and the program criteria shown since the initial date shown:  

  • Computer Science, Oct. 1, 1997 - under the Computer Science and Similarly Named Computing Programs Criteria.
  • Cyber Science, Oct. 1, 2020 – under the Cybersecurity and Similarly Named Computing Programs Criteria.
Visit ABET website

The USMA major, Geospatial Information Science, is accredited by the  United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation continuously since May 1, 2010.

Visit the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation website

The Chemistry major with ACS Certification track is approved by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society continuously since April 25, 2013.

Visit the American Chemical Society website

Assessment

West Point believes in continuous improvement and has a well-established and active program of assessment directed at evaluating institutional effectiveness, academic program effectiveness, and student learning.  

Assessment at West Point focuses on more than simply meeting requirements for accreditation purposes.  Proper assessment ensures each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the U.S. Army.
 

The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers, as represented by the College Board, Peterson's, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student's transition into higher education and reduce the reporting burden on data providers.

Recent submissions by USMA are available for download by clicking on the .pdf files linked below.

Visit the Common Data Set Website

Every West Point class is a unique blend of emerging leaders with tremendous potential. Click the links below to download the most recent class characteristics broken down by various categories and statistics.

The Long Gray Line continues into the future as each graduating cadet earns a Bachelor of Science degree and commissions as a second lieutenant in the Army. Click the link below to see the characteristics and accomplishments of each West Point class.

Office of Institutional Research

The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) collects and analyzes data in support of the decision making processes, supports assessment activities, and provides an institutional-level assessment of both cadet outcomes and institutional effectiveness.

Contact the Office of Institutional Research

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) facilitates the degree to which USMA is accomplishing its mission and strategy through integrated planning, resourcing, and assessment. The office provides an institution-level assessment of effectiveness. ​

Contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Office of Data and Analytics

The Office of Data and Analytics (ODA) develops and oversees the USMA data and data management systems to support leader decision-making.

Learn more about the Office of Data & Analysis