Basic training, also known as basic combat training or boot camp, is the initial training that recruits go through upon joining the military. It is a challenging period meant to turn civilians into soldiers by pushing them physically and mentally. A key question many prospective recruits have is what percentage of recruits make it through basic training? What is the pass rate?
The pass rate refers to the percentage of recruits who successfully complete basic training. This rate varies between the different branches of the U.S. military and depends on several factors. However, on average, around 90% of recruits will graduate from basic training. This means about 1 in 10 recruits will fail or be discharged before finishing.
Pass Rates by Branch
Each military branch has its own basic training program with different standards and difficulty levels. Here is an overview of the pass rates for the main branches:
Army
The Army has the lowest pass rate at around 80%. Approximately 1 in 5 Army recruits will not complete basic combat training (BCT). This can be attributed to the Army having the longest BCT at 10 weeks compared to 7-9 weeks for other branches. The high intensity and physical demands of Army BCT causes more recruits to fall out. Heat casualties and overuse injuries are common reasons for discharge.
Navy
Navy basic training has a pass rate around 90%. Recruits go through 8 weeks of Navy boot camp focusing on water survival skills and shipboard operations. The main reasons recruits fail are inability to pass the swimming requirements and medical issues. Smaller share of recruits also drop due to motivational issues.
Air Force
The Air Force has the highest pass rate at around 95%. Their basic military training (BMT) is only 8.5 weeks long and not quite as intense as other branches. The Air Force also has higher recruitment standards for education and AFQT scores. This results in most recruits being able to complete the training. Failure is typically due to not meeting medical/fitness standards.
Marines
Around 90% make it through Marine Corps bootcamp. Considered the toughest basic training, Marine recruits go through 13 weeks of intense physical and mental conditioning. Leading causes of failure include physical training injuries, inadequate fitness, and failure to adapt to the demanding environment.
Factors Affecting Pass Rates
The pass rate for basic training is influenced by several variables:
Training Difficulty
The harder the training, the more recruits that are likely to wash out. Army and Marines have the toughest programs and consequently lower graduation rates. The difficulty of training has increased over the decades too, contributing to pass rates falling from close to 100% in past generations.
Recruit Quality
Recruits who are in better physical shape and have higher mental toughness are more likely to pass basic training. The surge of recruits during wartime versus smaller peacetime forces also impacts pass rates. With more recruits, standards may be lowered resulting in higher pass rates.
Medical Issues
Any medical conditions or injuries that restrict recruits from training leads to discharge. Minor injuries like stress fractures occur frequently due to the intense physical activity. Prior medical history plays a role in who gets selected for basic training as well.
Mental Health
Many recruits find they are not mentally prepared for the rigors of military life under stressful bootcamp conditions. Anxiety, depression, and desperation to leave causes some to intentionally fail.
Motivation
Lack of motivation and drive to succeed in training results in higher wash out rates. Younger recruits right out of high school tend to have more trouble adapting to military discipline and regimented lifestyle.
Pass Rates Over Time
Historically, pass rates used to be higher for basic training. Up until the 1970s, it was common for 95% or more recruits to graduate. However, training has intensified over the decades to prepare soldiers for modern warfare. This has led to average pass rates declining to around 90% today.
During wartime, pass rates tend to improve slightly due to an influx of motivated recruits. For example, in the years following 9/11, all branches saw small upticks in graduation rates. When the military downsizes during peacetime, requirements are tougher and force out more recruits in training.
Advances in medical screening, physical fitness, and education may cause pass rates to increase again in the future. However, training will likely remain difficult enough that 10% washout rates persist as the normal average.
Pass Rates by Gender
An analysis of pass rates by gender reveals some interesting differences. Historically, women had higher graduation rates than their male counterparts in basic training. In the 1970s, around 2% more females completed training across all branches.
While the pass rate gap has closed today, women still graduate at slightly higher rates in most branches. In the Army, 83% of female recruits will pass compared to 79% of male recruits. This can be attributed to women needing higher motivation to succeed in the male-dominated military culture.
However, in the Marine Corps, the pass rate is essentially equal between genders at around 90%. This shows that with the right motivation, women can perform just as well under intense training environments. Overall, gender is a minor factor affecting basic training graduation rates in the modern integrated military.
Financial Costs of Basic Training Discharges
Recruits who fail out of basic training end up costing the military a significant amount of money and resources. Estimates indicate that it costs between $50,000 and $75,000 to fully train each recruit that graduates. When a recruit washes out, most of that initial investment is lost.
Across all branches, approximately 10-20% of recruits do not complete basic training. With 150,000 to 200,000 recruits entering the military per year, that results in 15,000 to 40,000 dischargees annually. At $50,000 per recruit, the financial toll ranges from $750 million to $2 billion every year.
Discharged recruits also mean empty slots that must be filled in upcoming classes. More recruits need to be continually processed through the system to account for the training losses. This further raises costs for screening, processing, transportation, and other intake activities.
Beyond monetary expenses, there are organizational impacts of high attrition. Drill instructors, equipment, facilities and other training resources must be constantly reallocated to new groups of recruits. Stability in instructing recruits and building unit cohesion is also disrupted.
Ways to Improve Pass Rates
The U.S. military devotes extensive resources to studying attrition rates and how to improve training outcomes. Here are some of the methods that have been adopted or proposed:
Improved Recruit Screening
Better screening of recruits before they ship helps identify those less likely to succeed in basic training. Physical conditioning, medical examinations and aptitude tests weed out high risk recruits upfront.
Prep Courses
Some branches have implemented short preparatory courses focused on physical training for recruits. Getting them used to military lifestyle early on results in higher graduation rates.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition impacts physical and mental performance. Quality food before and during training reduces injuries and other issues that cause discharge.
Data Analysis
Studying exactly why recruits fail using surveys and other data helps identify weaknesses in training to be corrected. Attributes of graduates can also be applied to screening.
Support Services
Expanded medical care, mental health services and mentoring helps get struggling recruits through training. However, care must be taken not to push through recruits that ultimately will fail later on.
Instructor Feedback
Instructors go through training and rotations rapidly in some branches. More stability in instructor corps and collecting their feedback helps improve training cycles.
Conclusion
While basic training will always be challenging by design, small improvements in pass rates can be achieved through evidence-based measures. For recruits, being physically and mentally prepared as possible before enlisting will offer the greatest advantage of successfully graduating. Understanding normal washout rates also helps set expectations for making it through basic training. For most who put in the work, the pride of becoming a U.S. military service member awaits at the end.