Academic achievement is one of several criteria that are assessed in the selection process for attendance at the U.S. Naval Academy. Acceptance at the academy is less than 25 percent of all applicants. The average high school GPA for Naval Academy cadets, according to the Venture Scholars Program, is around 3.5, and average Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) in all areas is around 600. College Data's figures for the 2012 class are GPA average 3.67 and SAT averages 668 (math), 659 (critical reading) and 652 (writing).
Academic achievement is not the sole determining criteria for admission. The academy uses an index called the "whole person multiplier" to select cadets. The whole person multiplier index includes academic achievement, but also includes extracurricular achievements, foreign language skills, cultural experience and the demonstrated ability to overcome unusual adversity. The index is controversial for those who believe academic achievement should be determinative for admission, but the other criteria do not eliminate academic achievement as an important criterion. All other things being equal, a higher GPA is always better than a low one.
Like most universities, USNA is interested in talented athletes and the academy has demonstrated a strong commitment to increasing diversity in the cadet population. This means that an applicant may have some advantage based on athletic skill or even ethnic background, and foreign language proficiency is highly valued, but the academy does not select cadets solely on these criteria. If you are an athlete or an ethnic minority, and your GPA shows that you will be an academic risk at USNA, your chances of being selected are significantly lower.
USNA graduates will become naval officers, and the principle attribute the Navy seeks in officers in not intellectual prowess -- though that is important -- but leadership. Service academies nonetheless have strong records of overall academic performance. The Naval Academy is ranked in the 97.7th percentile among American universities. It is ranked number one in Maryland and 27th nationwide as of the date of publication. Fewer than 1,200 students are selected as cadets every year, so no matter what your advantages or disadvantages in other areas, your high school GPA matters.