USNA Majors - STEM Quota?

[mmb5]

I see on the USNA pages that 65% of the class must choose STEM majors. Does anyone know how often someone might be directed to a major other than his or her choice?

While the majority of midshipmen will choose their majors freely, the needs of the Naval Service take precedence. For the Naval Academy Class of 2013 and beyond, at least 65% of those graduates commissioned into the U.S. Navy must complete academic majors in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines.

 

[A6E Dad]

This question was asked at a parent briefing during the CVW. The answer was that, yes, USNA does want a certain percentage of mids in STEM majors, but they have not yet had to 'force' anyone to choose a major that they didn't want.
This came from one of the academic deans, who is an 0-6

 

[nuensis]

USNA meets the 65% quota every year. That's usually not the issue.

There are some years when an individual major cannot accommodate all of the plebes that put it as their first choice. Aerospace Engineering was too popular for '16, and they had to make selections based on academic performance from first semester. Cyber Operations was a new major and could only accommodate exactly forty plebes that year.

If it was on your preference sheet, it was something you "wanted." Applies to generally everything, from major selection to summer training to service assignment.

 

[Mom529]

At plebe parents weekend, I talked to at least half of the faculty representing each major at the majors presentation fair. They all told me the same thing; mids can major in anything they want, and the quota is not an issue. I thought that was good news!