Public
Accredited ·
New London, Connecticut
24.3% Acceptance Rate
United States Coast Guard Academy — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
24.3%Acceptance Rate
3.79Avg GPA
1290Avg SAT
28Avg ACT
Acceptance Rate
24.3%
Avg GPA
3.79
Avg SAT
1290
Avg ACT
28
Selectivity
Highly Competitive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
SAT Middle 50%
1210–1380
ACT Middle 50%
25–30
The United States Coast Guard Academy, founded in 1876, is the premier institution for educating future officers of the U.S. Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, the academy combines rigorous academics with military training and character development. Cadets choose from eight engineering and professional majors, all with a strong maritime focus. The academy's 110-acre campus features state-of-the-art facilities like the Leadership Development Center and the Bear, the Coast Guard's training barque.
The academy's honor concept 'Who lives here reveres honor, honors duty' guides cadet development. Graduates earn Bachelor of Science degrees and commissions as ensigns in the Coast Guard. The academy's NCAA Division III athletics and regimental activities build teamwork and leadership skills. Alumni include Coast Guard commandants, astronauts, and leaders who protect the nation's maritime interests and save lives at sea.
United States Coast Guard Academy Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate at United States Coast Guard Academy is 24.3%, which puts it squarely in the 'reach for most, match for the well-prepared' category.
What United States Coast Guard Academy Admissions Looks For
- Consistent Academics: A steady record of A-level performance across core subjects is expected.
- Score Validation: A strong SAT or ACT score can offset a minor GPA dip.
- Sustained Involvement: Depth in 2–3 activities reads better than breadth across ten.
Selectivity at a Glance
Highly Competitive
Selectivity scale: Highly Competitive — 24.3% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
United States Coast Guard Academy reviews the whole profile, not just grades — a well-crafted personal statement genuinely moves the needle here.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.79 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.59 – 3.78
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.34
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
United States Coast Guard Academy Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for United States Coast Guard Academy is January 15. Admission decisions are typically released by April 1.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 169 days left — Regular Admission
Regular Admission
January 15
Decision by: April 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (January 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
United States Coast Guard Academy GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at United States Coast Guard Academy is 3.79. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.49 and 3.79? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.99–4.19.United States Coast Guard Academy GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Highly selective; GPA is within the typical admitted range.
Recommended Strategy: Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) in the top 5th percentile.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.79 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.59 – 3.78
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.39 – 3.58
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.38
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- USCGA is the only one of the five federal service academies that does not require a Congressional nomination - admission is entirely merit-based and decided directly by the admissions board.
- The Academy receives roughly 2,000 applications annually and extends appointments until about 400 accept, yielding an entering class near 300 cadets - a meaningfully more attainable acceptance rate than other federal academies.
- Competitive admits typically carry close to a 3.79 GPA alongside SAT scores near 1300-1380 or ACT scores near 27, with the Physical Fitness Examination weighted alongside academics rather than treated as a minor checkbox.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at United States Coast Guard Academy
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on United States Coast Guard Academy's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
United States Coast Guard Academy Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if United States Coast Guard Academy is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into United States Coast Guard Academy Without SAT or ACT?
United States Coast Guard Academy considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
United States Coast Guard Academy Average SAT Score: 1290
The average SAT score of admitted students at United States Coast Guard Academy is 1290 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1290 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1380 SAT or 30 ACT) to stand out. Below average? United States Coast Guard Academy allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1210, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at United States Coast Guard Academy. Retaking multiple times is completely normal — most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 645 | 600 | 690 |
| SAT Reading | 650 | 610 | 690 |
| SAT Composite | 1290 | 1210 | 1380 |
Below 1210, you're behind most admitted students; at 1380 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1300
Can I get into United States Coast Guard Academy with a 1400 SAT?
A 1400 SAT puts you ahead of most of United States Coast Guard Academy's admitted class — but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
United States Coast Guard Academy ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at United States Coast Guard Academy is 28.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 28 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean without being elite-tier.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 26 | 24 | 28 |
| ACT English | 30 | 26 | 33 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 25 | 30 |
Can I get into United States Coast Guard Academy with a 30 ACT?
A 30 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of United States Coast Guard Academy's admitted students — a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections — English, Math, Reading, and Science — each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section (Science, especially, at STEM-focused schools) stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at United States Coast Guard Academy.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for United States Coast Guard Academy
Selective Strategy: Competitive Positioning
United States Coast Guard Academy rewards consistency. Being a top-quartile applicant here doesn't just help admission odds — it's usually what unlocks the strongest scholarship offers too.
No Nomination Required - Merit Decides Everything
Unlike West Point, Annapolis, or the Air Force Academy, USCGA does not require a Congressional or Vice-Presidential nomination - the admissions board alone decides your fate based on your full file. This means you should redirect all the energy other service-academy applicants spend chasing nomination letters into strengthening your transcript, fitness scores, and essays instead, since there is no political or procedural gatekeeper standing between you and an offer.
Self-Arranged Physical Fitness Examination
You are personally responsible for arranging your own Physical Fitness Examination - find a qualified adult administrator early, schedule it well before deadlines, and submit scores yourself rather than waiting on a school-coordinated testing day. Treat this like a second academic deadline: a late or poorly organized PFE submission signals the same lack of initiative the Coast Guard explicitly screens for in future officers.
Three Specific Recommenders, Not General Character Letters
USCGA requires exactly three letters: one from a math instructor, one from an English instructor, and one from your guidance counselor. Brief each recommender on USCGA's whole-person model specifically - ask your math and English teachers to speak to analytical rigor and communication clarity, since those map directly onto the technical and command-communication demands of officer training, rather than generic praise letters.
October 15 Early Action as a True Strategic Advantage
USCGA's Early Action round, with materials due October 15 and test scores by November 1, is non-restrictive - you can apply EA to other schools simultaneously, so there is no tradeoff for applying early here unlike Yale's REA. Use it to lock in an early read while your fitness scores, recommendations, and transcript are freshest, since the Academy fills its roughly 300-cadet class on a rolling-influenced basis through the cycle.
Expert Insight: A qualifying DoDMERB medical exam is not required to submit your application, but no appointment will be finalized without one on file - start the medical screening process immediately after applying rather than waiting for an admission decision, since DoDMERB processing delays are a common last-mile rejection reason.
United States Coast Guard Academy Profile
Full Name
United States Coast Guard Academy
City
New London
State
Connecticut
ZIP Code
6320
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Is a United States Coast Guard Academy Degree Worth It?
Whether United States Coast Guard Academy is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals — here's the data to weigh it against.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than United States Coast Guard Academy. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | 1258 | 27 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
| Thomas Aquinas College | Santa Paula, CA | 1277 | 29 |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL | 1277 | 27 |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL | 1256 | 27 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | Daytona Beach, FL | 1256 | 27 |
| Florida Southern College | Lakeland, FL | 1263 | 28 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as United States Coast Guard Academy. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE | 1297 | 29 |
| Agnes Scott College | Decatur, GA | 1296 | 29 |
| Mercer University | Macon, GA | 1280 | 28 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL | 1296 | 28 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than United States Coast Guard Academy. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville, AL | 1321 | 28 |
| Hendrix College | Conway, AR | 1336 | 29 |
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1353 | 30 |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 1367 | 29 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 1367 | 32 |
Degree Programs at United States Coast Guard Academy
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About United States Coast Guard Academy Admissions
At 24.3%, United States Coast Guard Academy's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at United States Coast Guard Academy average a 3.79 GPA.
United States Coast Guard Academy doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3.49 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.39, United States Coast Guard Academy becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at United States Coast Guard Academy — aim above 1290, ideally within the 1210–1380 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for United States Coast Guard Academy is January 15. Admission decisions are released by April 1.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is January 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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