Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a significant shift in the admissions policy for U.S. military service academies. On Friday, Hegseth issued a directive to all academies, mandating the elimination of race, ethnicity, and sex considerations from their admissions decisions. He asserted that these elite institutions, which are tasked with producing top-tier officers, must adhere to merit-based admissions to uphold fairness and maintain the military's high standards.
The directive was disseminated in a memo to senior Pentagon leadership, stressing the need for fairness owed to the nation and to individuals aspiring to serve. Hegseth's stance is that prioritizing merit is not only fair but also crucial for enhancing the military's capabilities. He expressed concerns that selecting candidates on criteria other than merit would compromise the armed forces' effectiveness and undermine the culture of excellence that is central to the U.S. military.
This new policy aligns with President Donald Trump's January executive order, which promotes meritocracy within the Armed Forces and calls for the end of race- and sex-based considerations. The change will affect all five U.S. military service academies: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
While the directive precludes the use of race, ethnicity, and sex in admissions, it does allow for the consideration of other attributes, such as athletic talent or prior military experience. Hegseth indicated that these factors might still influence admissions decisions. Additionally, he has ordered the implementation of a rank-order system based on merit scores to ensure that only the most qualified applicants gain admission.
The Department of Defense, under Hegseth's leadership, continues to emphasize the importance of upholding excellence and strict standards in its training institutions. The strength and preparedness of the officer corps are seen as pivotal in preserving the military's global superiority.
The move comes after the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the use of race in admissions at civilian colleges, which struck down affirmative action policies at institutions such as Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Although military academies were exempted from this ruling, the new directive signals a deliberate shift to mirror the Court's decision in the context of military education.
Recently, West Point came under scrutiny for alleged racial benchmarks in its admissions process. Critics claimed that the academy was seeking to admit a certain percentage of minority cadets, which they argued discriminated against white applicants. Data from West Point's class of 2027 showed that approximately 38% of cadets identified as minorities.
Hegseth's order marks a departure from previous practices and is in line with the broader efforts of the Trump administration to reshape military personnel policies. The policy is slated to take full effect for the 2026 applicant class, and it is yet to be seen how the individual academies will adapt to and implement the new standards.
Military officials have yet to publicly respond to Hegseth's directive, and details on potential audits of current admissions processes to ensure compliance have not been provided. Hegseth's memo, shared via Twitter, emphasizes the commitment to excellence, stating that future admissions will be "exclusively on merit."
