Secretary Donley congratulates new officers at AFA commencement

Newly commissioned second lieutenants celebrate at the end of the Air Force Academy's Class of 2011 graduation ceremony May 25, 2011. Flying overhead are F-16 Fighting Falcons with the Thunderbirds U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley was the guest speaker for the commencement. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Kaplan)

Academy is among America's 'smartest public colleges'

Published Oct. 30, 2014
By Amber Baillie
U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo -- The Academy really does attract America's best and brightest.

According to Business Insider's recent list of the smartest colleges in America released Oct. 28, the Academy ranked fourth, topping 96 other public schools across the nation.

The list features 104 colleges, with Georgia Institute of Technology ranking first, the University of California-Berkeley coming in second and College of William and Mary ranking third. The list was determined by average ACT and SAT test scores schools report to US News.

The Academy ranked above the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for smartest public schools. The Academy also surpassed the U.S. Military Academy and U.S Coast Guard Academy, although both schools did not supply all students' scores.

Admission into the Academy remains highly competitive due to its prestigious academic programs. Candidates are generally not competitive for an appointment if they score below 580 verbal and 560 math on the SAT Reasoning Test, and below 24 English or reading and below 25 math or science reasoning on the ACT.

According to the Academy Admissions website, students recently entering the Air Force's Academy are generally in the top three percent of their high school class.