U.S. Air Force Academy

Rankings

Data year Earned doctorates Full-time graduate students Total R&D expenditures Research space
Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked
2024 233 75.1 925
2023 237 74.3 911
2022 236 74.1 900
2021 237 74.2 908
2020 217 76.6 916
2019 214 76.9 914
2018 223 75.8 911
2017 199 78.2 898
2016 191 79 896
2015 213 76.6 898
NOTES:
  • 1. See TableBuilder for the prior year data.
  • 2. Blank white cells indicate data not available, not applicable, or institution not eligible for survey.
  • 3. Data from the Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is collected every two years.

Data

Total R&D expenditures, by field: 2024–15
(Dollars in thousands)
Field 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
  All R&D fields 53,158 44,880 36,506 32,086 42,197 43,941 35,925 48,287 55,358 38,326
    Science 15,911 8,313 3,335 2,954 3,496 6,451 4,822 6,804 13,644 10,889
      Computer and information sciences 1,329 1,285 210 150 490 640 1,044 703 4,585 3,401
      Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 0 53 120 34 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Atmospheric science and meteorology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geological and earth sciences 0 7 97 34 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Ocean sciences and marine sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 0 46 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Life sciences 9,313 4,130 244 369 0 140 341 338 485 526
        Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Biological and biomedical sciences 9,313 4,130 194 317 0 140 341 338 485 526
        Health sciences 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Natural resources and conservation 0 0 0 33 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Life sciences nec 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Mathematics and statistics 37 34 451 0 0 0 535 657 572 549
      Physical sciences 4,115 1,679 2,310 2,398 2,714 2,933 1,521 3,433 5,231 4,044
        Astronomy and astrophysics 2,209 1,104 661 0 0 0 50 0 0 0
        Chemistry 20 0 74 552 0 330 627 703 1,169 801
        Materials science 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Physics 1,878 575 1,150 1,846 2,714 2,603 844 2,730 4,062 3,243
        Physical sciences nec 0 0 425 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Psychology 98 0 0 0 0 274 0 0 0 1,053
      Social sciences 109 118 0 3 292 2,464 1,381 1,673 2,771 1,316
        Anthropology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Economics 15 0 0 3 0 24 268 365 428 574
        Political science and government 59 27 0 0 203 2,133 484 470 597 580
        Sociology, demography, and population studies 33 0 0 0 24 307 629 838 1,746 162
        Social sciences nec 2 91 0 0 65 0 0 0 0 0
      Sciences nec 910 1,014 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Engineering 37,077 36,441 33,169 29,132 29,812 28,489 28,645 33,831 37,015 24,268
      Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 4,044 4,963 1,772 2,823 4,358 2,830 2,775 3,178 6,072 5,214
      Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 0 231 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Chemical engineering 232 203 0 0 0 0 42 0 0 0
      Civil engineering 29 0 479 0 0 50 359 590 473 501
      Electrical, electronic, and communications engineering 767 242 327 923 325 140 748 699 1,424 1,006
      Industrial and manufacturing engineering 60 73 895 482 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Mechanical engineering 400 74 28,282 24,904 25,073 25,090 24,556 29,364 29,046 17,547
      Metallurgical and materials engineering 31,545 30,509 314 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Engineering nec 0 146 1,100 0 56 379 165 0 0 0
    Non-S&E 170 126 2 0 8,889 9,001 2,458 7,652 4,699 3,169
      Business management and business administration 103 65 2 0 802 833 717 694 707 913
      Communication and communications technologies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Education 0 0 0 0 7,841 7,814 29 34 34 446
      Humanities 6 0 0 0 0 108 691 1,016 631 821
      Law 0 0 0 0 0 0 215 230 230 222
      Social work 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Visual and performing arts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Non-S&E nec 61 61 0 0 246 246 806 5,678 3,097 767

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Prior to FY 2016, expenditures for natural resources and conservation, materials science, anthropology, and industrial and manufacturing engineering were not collected separately. R&D expenditures in agricultural sciences decreased in FY 2016 because a number of disciplines previously reported in that field are now reported separately under natural resources and conservation.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Total R&D expenditures, by source of funds and R&D field: 2024
(Dollars in thousands)
Field All R&D expenditures Federal government State and local government Institution funds Business Nonprofit organizations All other sources
  All R&D fields 53,158 51,933 0 0 707 0 518
    Science 15,911 15,788 0 0 68 0 55
      Computer and information sciences 1,329 1,313 0 0 16 0 0
      Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Atmospheric science and meteorology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geological and earth sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Ocean sciences and marine sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Life sciences 9,313 9,313 0 0 0 0 0
        Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Biological and biomedical sciences 9,313 9,313 0 0 0 0 0
        Health sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Natural resources and conservation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Life sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Mathematics and statistics 37 12 0 0 23 0 2
      Physical sciences 4,115 4,115 0 0 0 0 0
        Astronomy and astrophysics 2,209 2,209 0 0 0 0 0
        Chemistry 20 20 0 0 0 0 0
        Materials science 8 8 0 0 0 0 0
        Physics 1,878 1,878 0 0 0 0 0
        Physical sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Psychology 98 50 0 0 0 0 48
      Social sciences 109 94 0 0 15 0 0
        Anthropology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Economics 15 10 0 0 5 0 0
        Political science and government 59 51 0 0 8 0 0
        Sociology, demography, and population studies 33 33 0 0 0 0 0
        Social sciences nec 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
      Sciences nec 910 891 0 0 14 0 5
    Engineering 37,077 36,045 0 0 588 0 444
      Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 4,044 3,242 0 0 413 0 389
      Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Chemical engineering 232 232 0 0 0 0 0
      Civil engineering 29 25 0 0 0 0 4
      Electrical, electronic, and communications engineering 767 590 0 0 126 0 51
      Industrial and manufacturing engineering 60 11 0 0 49 0 0
      Mechanical engineering 400 400 0 0 0 0 0
      Metallurgical and materials engineering 31,545 31,545 0 0 0 0 0
      Engineering nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Non-S&E 170 100 0 0 51 0 19
      Business management and business administration 103 33 0 0 51 0 19
      Communication and communications technologies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Education 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Humanities 6 6 0 0 0 0 0
      Law 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Social work 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Visual and performing arts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Non-S&E nec 61 61 0 0 0 0 0

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
  • Prior to FY 2016, expenditures for natural resources and conservation, materials science, anthropology, and industrial and manufacturing engineering were not collected separately. R&D expenditures in agricultural sciences decreased in FY 2016 because a number of disciplines previously reported in that field are now reported separately under natural resources and conservation.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Federally funded R&D expenditures, by federal agency: 2024–15
(Dollars in thousands)
Source of funds 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Federal Agencies 51,933 44,056 35,826 31,818 33,554 35,294 27,973 40,062 46,958 30,637
  DOD 51,623 43,793 35,311 31,818 33,115 33,955 27,263 39,077 44,934 28,160
  DOE 186 90 450 0 0 108 96 385 114 79
  HHS 0 0 0 0 0 140 0 0 0 0
  NASA 103 146 37 0 103 100 436 277 247 123
  NSF 21 27 28 0 90 745 85 5 197 348
  USDA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  Other 0 0 0 0 246 246 93 318 1,466 1,927

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

Headcount of R&D personnel: 2024–18 [temporarily discontinued]
Year
2024 . . . .
2023 . . . .
2022 . . . .
2021 . . . .
2020 . . . .
2019 677 i 136 541 i .
2018 618 i 136 482 i .

i=imputed

NOTE:
  • . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.

SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey

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