The Air Force Academy was ranked the No. 5 best undergraduate engineering program in the country, according to the latest rankings by US News and World Report. The academy’s aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering program was ranked No. 2 in the country for the 15th consecutive year, its electrical/electronic/communications engineering program was ranked No. 4 in the country, and its mechanical engineering program was ranked No. 5 in the 2016 edition of the rankings. The Air Force Academy also was ranked No. 29 for liberal arts colleges nationwide, and No. 3 on the list of top public schools. US News and World Report polled high school counselors across the country on which schools provide the best undergraduate education, and the academy ranked No. 3 on that list for the third straight year. The academy has nearly 4,000 students and admitted less than 17 percent of applicants last year, according to the publication.
The Senate Appropriations Committee released its version of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act on Oct. 18, proposing an additional half billion dollars for the Space Force's 2022 budget and an extra 16 C-130Js for the Air Force, while leaving the service's requests for F-35s and F-15EXs untouched.