Accreditation & Assessment

The U.S. Military Academy is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is committed to institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement.

Accreditation & Assessment

The U.S. Military Academy is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It 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 current statement of accreditation on the MSCHE website.

The next institution accreditation visit for West Point is scheduled for 2027-28.

MSCHE 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 – Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular, and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Civil Engineering, Oct. 1, 1985 – Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Electrical Engineering, Oct. 1, 1985 - Electrical, Electronics and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • ​Engineering Management, Oct. 1, 1985 - Engineering Management and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Environmental Engineering, Oct. 1, 1995 - 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​ - Nuclear, Radiological and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.
  • Systems Engineering, Oct. 1, 1995 – Systems and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Criteria.

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 - Computer Science and Similarly Named Computing Programs Criteria.
  • Cyber Science, Oct. 1, 2020 – Cybersecurity and Similarly Named Computing Programs Criteria.

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

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.

Assessment

The U.S. Military Academy 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.
 

Common Data Sets

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.

Cadet Consumer Information

The U.S. Military Academy (USMA), founded on March 16, 1802, is a four-year college that builds, educates, trains, and inspires the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and nation.

Per federal regulations set forth by the Higher Education Act of 1965 (amended in 2008), and the Student Right to Know Act, 34 C.F.R. 668 passed in 1990, educational institutions are required to disclose specific consumer information about the school. 

USMA voluntarily maintains a Cadet Consumer Information page as a centralized location for general information about USMA. The information is intended to assist candidates, cadets, their families, and others in obtaining information about the Academy's developmental programs and outcomes.

Office of Institutional Research

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

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

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

Office of Data and Analytics

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