USNA seems to have its share of ho-hum instructors, but there are many top-shelf professors and with careful planning and integration of some exceptional ancillary , the academic experience can and often is world-class and superior. That aspect of a USNA experience is often lost or minimized.
In the spirit of openess and candor, there are many who'd argue that the breadth of requirements prevents the degree of focus and depth that some students desire. One Mid noted interestingly, "I had to come to an alleged 'engineering school' to get a world-class liberal education." Note, I suspect intentionally, insightfully, and perhaps correctly, he said "liberal" and not "liberal arts." Conversely his roommate in another engineering curriculum expressed that his was a broad, general engineering program with opportunity for a specialized project but that his classroom experience might not rate well with a GA Tech, MIT, Rennsalaer, or some other engineering institutions. My guess is that this is one of those where there could 4,400 variations of opining among 4,400 Mids.