U.S. Air Force Academy

Rankings

Data year Earned doctorates Full-time graduate students Total R&D expenditures
Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked Rank Percentile Institutions ranked
2024
2023 236 74.5 914
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
2014 201 77.7 889
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: 2023–14
(Dollars in thousands)
Field 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
  All R&D fields 44,880 36,506 32,086 42,197 43,941 35,925 48,287 55,358 38,326 44,663
    Science 8,313 3,335 2,954 3,496 6,451 4,822 6,804 13,644 10,889 10,051 i
      Computer and information sciences 1,285 210 150 490 640 1,044 703 4,585 3,401 836 i
      Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 53 120 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,399 i
        Atmospheric science and meteorology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 738 i
        Geological and earth sciences 7 97 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 918 i
        Ocean sciences and marine sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
        Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 46 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 743 i
      Life sciences 4,130 244 369 0 140 341 338 485 526 1,026 i
        Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
        Biological and biomedical sciences 4,130 194 317 0 140 341 338 485 526 1,026 i
        Health sciences 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
        Natural resources and conservation 0 0 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Life sciences nec 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Mathematics and statistics 34 451 0 0 0 535 657 572 549 738 i
      Physical sciences 1,679 2,310 2,398 2,714 2,933 1,521 3,433 5,231 4,044 4,004 i
        Astronomy and astrophysics 1,104 661 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 i
        Chemistry 0 74 552 0 330 627 703 1,169 801 446 i
        Materials science 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Physics 575 1,150 1,846 2,714 2,603 844 2,730 4,062 3,243 3,558 i
        Physical sciences nec 0 425 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Psychology 0 0 0 0 274 0 0 0 1,053 1 i
      Social sciences 118 0 3 292 2,464 1,381 1,673 2,771 1,316 1,047 i
        Anthropology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Economics 0 0 3 0 24 268 365 428 574 849 i
        Political science and government 27 0 0 203 2,133 484 470 597 580 124 i
        Sociology, demography, and population studies 0 0 0 24 307 629 838 1,746 162 0 i
        Social sciences nec 91 0 0 65 0 0 0 0 0 74 i
      Sciences nec 1,014 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
    Engineering 36,441 33,169 29,132 29,812 28,489 28,645 33,831 37,015 24,268 31,488 i
      Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 4,963 1,772 2,823 4,358 2,830 2,775 3,178 6,072 5,214 2,894 i
      Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 231 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Chemical engineering 203 0 0 0 0 42 0 0 0 0 i
      Civil engineering 0 479 0 0 50 359 590 473 501 385 i
      Electrical, electronic, and communications engineering 242 327 923 325 140 748 699 1,424 1,006 580 i
      Industrial and manufacturing engineering 73 895 482 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Mechanical engineering 74 28,282 24,904 25,073 25,090 24,556 29,364 29,046 17,547 27,604 i
      Metallurgical and materials engineering 30,509 314 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Engineering nec 146 1,100 0 56 379 165 0 0 0 25 i
    Non-S&E 126 2 0 8,889 9,001 2,458 7,652 4,699 3,169 3,124 i
      Business management and business administration 65 2 0 802 833 717 694 707 913 130 i
      Communication and communications technologies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Education 0 0 0 7,841 7,814 29 34 34 446 2,890 i
      Humanities 0 0 0 0 108 691 1,016 631 821 104 i
      Law 0 0 0 0 0 215 230 230 222 0 i
      Social work 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Visual and performing arts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
      Non-S&E nec 61 0 0 246 246 806 5,678 3,097 767 0 i

i=imputed

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: 2023
(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 44,880 44,056 0 0 357 0 467
    Science 8,313 8,252 0 0 54 0 7
      Computer and information sciences 1,285 1,260 0 0 25 0 0
      Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 53 46 0 0 7 0 0
        Atmospheric science and meteorology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geological and earth sciences 7 0 0 0 7 0 0
        Ocean sciences and marine sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences nec 46 46 0 0 0 0 0
      Life sciences 4,130 4,130 0 0 0 0 0
        Agricultural sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Biological and biomedical sciences 4,130 4,130 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 34 27 0 0 0 0 7
      Physical sciences 1,679 1,669 0 0 10 0 0
        Astronomy and astrophysics 1,104 1,094 0 0 10 0 0
        Chemistry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Materials science 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Physics 575 575 0 0 0 0 0
        Physical sciences nec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Psychology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Social sciences 118 106 0 0 12 0 0
        Anthropology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Economics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Political science and government 27 15 0 0 12 0 0
        Sociology, demography, and population studies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
        Social sciences nec 91 91 0 0 0 0 0
      Sciences nec 1,014 1,014 0 0 0 0 0
    Engineering 36,441 35,804 0 0 225 0 412
      Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 4,963 4,481 0 0 140 0 342
      Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 231 231 0 0 0 0 0
      Chemical engineering 203 203 0 0 0 0 0
      Civil engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Electrical, electronic, and communications engineering 242 160 0 0 35 0 47
      Industrial and manufacturing engineering 73 0 0 0 50 0 23
      Mechanical engineering 74 74 0 0 0 0 0
      Metallurgical and materials engineering 30,509 30,509 0 0 0 0 0
      Engineering nec 146 146 0 0 0 0 0
    Non-S&E 126 0 0 0 78 0 48
      Business management and business administration 65 0 0 0 57 0 8
      Communication and communications technologies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Education 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      Humanities 0 0 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 0 0 0 21 0 40

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: 2023–14
(Dollars in thousands)
Source of funds 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Federal Agencies 44,056 35,826 31,818 33,554 35,294 27,973 40,062 46,958 30,637 34,669
  DOD 43,793 35,311 31,818 33,115 33,955 27,263 39,077 44,934 28,160 33,392
  DOE 90 450 0 0 108 96 385 114 79 69
  HHS 0 0 0 0 140 0 0 0 0 0
  NASA 146 37 0 103 100 436 277 247 123 98
  NSF 27 28 0 90 745 85 5 197 348 147
  USDA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  Other 0 0 0 246 246 93 318 1,466 1,927 963

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: 2023–17 [temporarily discontinued]
Year
2023 . . . .
2022 . . . .
2021 . . . .
2020 . . . .
2019 677 i 136 541 i .
2018 618 i 136 482 i .
2017 703 i 136 567 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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