Is spending an extra year at university worth it to change to USNA if it leads to the same result?
Not sure I understand the question. I think you're asking if it makes sense to add a year by attending USNA after a year at college. In that case, it depends on whether your desire to attend USNA still burns or whether you are happy/satisfied with your current life. There is no reason, IMHO, to "start over" at USNA for any reason other than it's something you really still want to do. O/w, even with some of the answers I'll give below, it could well be a miserable experience.
I have heard that NROTC students that go to USNA after a year typically are unhappy, is there any truth to this or is it simply a one sided story from the students I am surrounded by?
See above. It will be different at USNA after having the "freedoms" of a civilian school. Now, someone will tell you when to do things. You'll be limited in terms of what you can do and where you can go in your "free time." Your courses will be more limited. You'll wear a uniform all of the time. You're going from a civilian school with some military thrown in to a military school. As noted above, if that's what you want, then it will be ok. If not, you might be miserable.
Are the sailors in the fleet from USNA usually better than those from ROTC?
A minor point -- USNA and ROTC graduate "officers." The term "sailors" typically refers to enlisted personnel. And the answer is "no." As a USNA grad, you'll have a head start over your NROTC and OCS counterparts b/c you've been in the military full-time for four years. However, that advantage is soon displaced, and how good you are as an officer depends on you.
I have been told that USNA graduates are more likely to become high-ranking officers, is this true?
Yes, in the USN. No in the USMC. It is still the case the USNA grads tend to dominate the flag ranks in the USN. However, there are many examples of NROTC and OCS grads who make flag rank. In the USMC, ROTC grads are most likely to become generals, though USNA grads obviously make flag rank in that service.
Finally, after a career in the Navy, I am aware a USNA degree is highly sought after. However, If I am at a top engineering school and will ultimately still get the leadership experience that comes from being in the fleet as a sailor, does the USNA degree still hold significantly more prestige?
You're mixing two questions. The first is the value of your academic degree. Undergraduate degrees from top engineering schools (e.g., MIT, Caltech) are just as impressive to certain employers as degrees from SAs. The second is leadership. Part of that comes from your USNA degree but more comes from your time as an officer. However, how impressed an employer will be depends on the employer and the job you are seeking.
Prestige seems important now and certainly a higher percentage of leaders come from what are typically considered "prestigious" schools, such as the Ivies. That said, there are many, many examples of people achieving success who attended schools that aren't exactly considered "prestigious." See, for example, Ronald Reagan (Eureka College). Or Abraham Lincoln (never attended college).
