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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