Napoleon's decision to go into the artillery was more of a career decision. As a minor noble from a recently acquired French territory, Napoleon, or more precisely, the Bonaparte family, lacked the sufficient funds or social connections or standing to make a career in either the cavalry or infantry. Both the artillery and the Navy were the branches of the armed services for career-minded cadets of relatively poorer backgrounds. Both services were somewhat meritocratic, at least in comparison to other branches of the Bourbon military. Moreover, they were also much more in line with Enlightenment ideals of progress and science than more traditional military outfits.

Napoleon had initially toyed with a prospective naval career. But both the retirement of his patron, Chevalier de Keralio, and his lack of the requisite education (regulations stipulated six years of education and Napoleon had complete just over four years at Brienne) made this a dead end for Napoleon's career. The extended Bonaparte clan could not pay for extra schooling or waste time trying to cultivate a new patron. In contrast, the artillery arm was more promising. Entrance into the artillery required a passing examinations, but fortunately for Napoleon, these tests were in a subject he excelled in, mathematics. While other cadets from the lower nobility sought a post in the artillery, it was the most professional of the services and promotion tended to be based on ability. Careers in the infantry or cavalry were much more expensive to maintain, promotion past a certain level usually needed a certain level of income, even without the social prerequisites of an established noble pedigree. Napoleon's mathematical skills gave him an edge in a very crowded field. His elder brother Joseph possibly was the inspiration for Napoleon to enter into the artillery branch. Joseph had entertained notions of entering into the artillery with his brother despite not sharing his younger brother's appreciation for mathematics, but this pressure from both his father and elder brother may have pushed Napoleon to exceed in the rigorous entrance exams for the artillery branch.