<Tr> <Th> Designated NHL </Th> <Td> 19 December 1960 </Td> </Tr> <P> The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point, Army, The Academy, or simply The Point, is a four - year coeducational federal service academy located in West Point, New York in Orange County . It was originally established as a fort that sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River with a scenic view, 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City . It is one of the four U.S. military service academies, and one of the five U.S. service academies . </P> <P> The Academy traces its roots to 1801, when President Thomas Jefferson directed, shortly after his inauguration, that plans be set in motion to establish the United States Military Academy at West Point . The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, and monuments . The majority of the campus's Norman - style buildings are constructed from gray and black granite . The campus is a popular tourist destination complete with a large visitor center and the oldest museum in the United States Army . </P> <P> Candidates for admission must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress or Delegate / Resident Commissioner in the case of Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands . Other nomination sources include the President and Vice President of the United States . Students are officers - in - training and are referred to as "cadets" or collectively as the "United States Corps of Cadets" (USCC). Tuition for cadets is fully funded by the Army in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation . Approximately 1,300 cadets enter the Academy each July, with about 1,000 cadets graduating . </P>

When did west point become a military academy