ACADEMICS

Army and Navy Academy uses an evidence-based single-gender approach to educating young men according to their unique needs. Based on the internationally recognized Gurian Method, our teaching model is highly structured and involves active classes and engaging lessons tailored to keep young men attentive and interested. By combining this approach with the University of California system’s exacting educational standards, we accelerate young men toward success at top colleges and beyond.

WATCH VIDEO

Clubs and organizations at Army and Navy Academy include the popular Aviation club.

WELCOME FROM THE DEAN

A military boarding school such as ANA offers a wide array of opportunities for boys to develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, psychologically, morally, and socially. A boy’s academic classes are a significant part of an integrated set of experiences that foster development across each of those domains. At ANA, we purposely design each of those integrated experiences using boy-brain science that tells us what techniques best meet boys where they are at developmentally. The ANA faculty are masters at utilizing an array of strategies that help boys learn and achieve at high levels. Approaches such as the use of graphic organizers and visuals, incorporating competition into the learning process, frequent opportunities for the boys to collaborate with peers in their learning, project-based learning, and frequent movement and brain/physical activity breaks all help make the ANA classroom a very unique and successful place for boys to learn.

The academic program at ANA prepares boys for entry and success in highly competitive colleges and universities, but it also prepares them for success in their chosen careers. Working in tandem with athletics and the military (army JROTC) staff, ANA faculty pay close attention to each boy’s needs and ensure each boy is provided the support he needs to achieve his post-secondary goals.

We believe a boy’s family are his primary educators, and we partner with families (known as Patrons at ANA) to identify the unique needs and aspirations of each boy. We then collaborate on and implement a multi-year plan to help each boy meet and exceed those goals.

With a full spectrum of Advanced Placement and Honors courses, community college dual enrollment opportunities, all of the courses required to meet and exceed the University of California/California State University (A-G) admissions requirements, courses for students with learning differences, and courses for students who are speakers of other languages than English, ANA will help your boy become an educated man of virtue.

If I can answer any questions about our amazing academic program, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at mryan@armyandnavyacademy.org or by phone at 760.547.5298.

Mark P. Ryan, Ph.D.
Dean of Academics

College matriculation is the culmination of the Academy's college preparatory focus.

COURSE CATALOG

Army and Navy Academy’s Course Catalog details the classes available at the Academy for the current academic year. You can review the 2025-2026 catalog at the link below.

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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: CULINARY ARTS

Culinary Arts has been a popular addition to the Academy’s elective classes. Class members learn cooking techniques, knife safety, nutrition, and more in the ultimate teaching kitchen: our dining hall. Guided by a professional chef, students practice menu planning, baking, global flavors, and service. They run pop up events and cater campus gatherings for patrons.

Four young people in black chef uniforms work together in a kitchen.

LOVE OF LEARNING

The Academy has a wide range of curricular opportunities crafted to excite a love of learning in young men, including innovative programs like Aviation, Aquaculture, Robotics, and Culinary Arts. During their core classes, students engage with a broad slate of AP and honors classes that encourage and reward academic excellence. Our small class sizes help teachers to focus on the unique needs of individual students. Our approach emphasizes boldness and independence in academic exploration. The outcome is graduates who are enthusiastic learners for life.

SINGLE-GENDER MODEL

Boys learn differently than girls. Army and Navy Academy’s single-gender model for education is the result of decades of research and practical application, and has consistently been proven to help young men find reach new heights of success in academics. By providing a learning environment tailored to the unique educational needs of young men, the Academy fosters learning and success in the classroom. Young men at the Academy are free from many of the distractions and pressures often found in coeducational institutions, allowing them to concentrate on on academic excellence.

COLLEGE MATRICULATION

Every student at the Academy undertakes college counseling and early life planning with our team of credentialed college counselors with an aim toward college matriculation. We know that high school is a crucial time to prepare young men for early success. Our unique approach to preparing students for college matriculation helps them to set goals, structure their time, follow their moral compass, and live independently so that they are able to meet the challenge of college ably and well-prepared.

Below are some of the exceptional schools currently attended by Army and Navy Academy graduates:

Service Academies & ROTC Universities

United States Naval Academy
United States Military Academy
United States Air Force Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy
Norwich University
The Citadel
Virginia Military Institute

CALIFORNIA

Stanford
University of Southern California
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
Pepperdine University
Chapman University
Loyola Marymount University
Occidental College
UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
UC Davis
UC Irvine
SDSU
CSU San Marcos
CSU Fullerton
CSU Humboldt
CSU Monterey Bay
CSU San Francisco
CSU San Jose
CSU Sonoma
California Maritime Academy
California Polytechnic State University
Pomona
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo

OTHER WESTERN STATES

Alaska Pacific University
Arizona State University
Boise State University
Brigham Young University
Central Washington University
Chaminade University
Colorado State University
Concordia University
East Washington University
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Grand Canyon University
Hawaii Pacific University
Linfield College
Montana State University
Nevada State College
Northern Arizona University
Oregon State University
Seattle University
Southern Utah University
University of Arizona
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Denver
University of Hawaii
University of Idaho
University of Nevada: Las Vegas, Reno
University of Northern Colorado
University of Oregon
University of Puget Sound
University of Utah
University of Washington
Washington State University

SOUTH

Eckerd College
Emory University
Faulkner University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Military College
Georgia State University
Johnson C. Smith University
Southern Methodist University
Stevenson University
Texas Christian University
Texas Southern University
Texas A & M University
The Citadel, the Military College of
South Carolina
University of Georgia
University of Mississippi
Valencia College
Virginia Tech
University of Alabama

NORTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC

Boston College
Boston University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Fordham University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Hofstra University
Johns Hopkins University
Lehigh University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New York University
Pace University
Parsons School of Design
Penn State University
Penn State University, Harrisburg
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University
St. John’s University
Syracuse University
University of Delaware
University of Massachusetts
West Virginia University

MIDWEST

Bradley University
De Paul University
Dominican University
Hendrix College
Indiana State University
Indiana Univesity of Bloomington
Iowa State University
Kansas Weslyan College
Loyola University: Chicago
Marietta College, Ohio
Marquette University
Miami University, Ohio
Michigan State University
Missouri State University
Missouri University of Science &
Technology
Montana State University – Bozeman
Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences
Ohio State University
Purdue University
South Dakota School of Mines &
Technology
University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
University of Chicago
University of Evansville
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota- Cookston
University of Oklahoma
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Washington University, St. Louis

INTERNATIONAL

American University of Beirut
Atlanten VGS, Norway
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne
European University, Geneva
Hong Kong University of Science & Tech
Hult University, London
Ibero University, Mexico
Instituto Tecnologico, Guadalajara
Konstanz University, Germany
Queens University, Canada
Richmond University, London
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
The University of Queensland, Australia
Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
University of Brighton
University of Rochester, London
Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara
York St. John University

PATHWAYS TO LIFE SUCCESS

While every senior class at Army and Navy Academy comes with their own unique strengths, skills, and life trajectories, the average class over the past 10 years has matriculated as follows:

80% Attend Four-Year Universities
10% Attend Two-Year Colleges
5% Attend Top Service Academics or ROTC Universities
5% Choose Another Path

College matriculation is not our only goal for our graduates. The Academy inspires young men to succeed in life by becoming passionate learners, acquiring new interests, and honing core skills while attending middle and high school.

Army and Navy Academy has been consistently ranked as one of California’s top boarding schools for boys by a variety of sources, including Boarding School Review, Private School Review, Great Schools, Niche, and Study International.