Address: 121 Blake Road, 21402 Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Engineering (various), Political Science, Oceanography
The United States Naval Academy stands in Annapolis, Maryland, and prepares undergraduates to serve as officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Founded in 1845, it is a military academy rather than a conventional university: its students are midshipmen, and academic study is combined with professional and military training.
The course leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. Academic departments are grouped into three areas, one centred on engineering and weapons, one on mathematics and science, and one on humanities and social sciences. The brigade of midshipmen numbers more than 4,000 students, a small enrolment compared with a large civilian campus.
Graduates are commissioned for naval service, so admission, costs and obligations after graduation follow service-academy rules and differ from those of a civilian university. Applicants should rely on the academy’s official admissions pages for current requirements and timelines. Visitors, prospective midshipmen and researchers can also use the academy’s website to learn about its academic areas, its location in Annapolis and its association with the Navy and Marine Corps, before contacting the admissions office.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Engineering, Marine Science, Military, Robotics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Premier service academy for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Highly competitive admissions. Focus on developing leaders for naval service.
Research:
Undergraduate research opportunities, often in areas of naval engineering, oceanography, cybersecurity, and robotics. Faculty research supports naval needs.
Famous Alumnis:
Jimmy Carter (also Georgia Tech), John McCain, Alan Shepard, H. Ross Perot, David Robinson, Roger Staubach
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1000
Current students***:
4500
Foreign students***:
1%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Provides a full scholarship and stipend, guaranteed employment as a Navy or Marine Corps officer, strong emphasis on leadership and STEM, historic campus.
Cons
Highly structured and demanding military environment, five-year service commitment, intense focus on naval leadership and traditions.
Best For
Highly qualified young individuals aspiring to become officers in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps, seeking a demanding academic, military, and character-building education at a historic naval institution.
United States Military Academy is the Army counterpart at West Point, New York, a public service academy listing engineering, international relations and military history among its fields.
Harvey Mudd College is a small private college in Claremont, California, centred on engineering, computer science, mathematics and physics.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university in Worcester, Massachusetts, with engineering, robotics engineering and computer science as main fields.
Stevens Institute of Technology is a private university in Hoboken, New Jersey, whose engineering focus includes financial engineering and computer science.
University of California, San Diego is a public university in La Jolla, California, with engineering and oceanography among its listed fields.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Cranfield University in England, United Kingdom, is a public university whose fields are aerospace, engineering and management.
Yokohama National University in Japan is a public university with engineering, including naval engineering, as its listed focus.
Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands is a public technical university with aerospace and civil engineering among its main fields.
Polytechnique Montréal in Quebec, Canada, is a public engineering school covering all engineering disciplines including aerospace.
Università degli Studi di Genova in Italy is a public university with naval and maritime engineering and robotics as listed fields.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
What is the history of this academy?
It was established in 1845 as a school for naval officers and has operated at Annapolis since then. Students take an undergraduate programme with a military component.
Who studies at the academy?
Students are called midshipmen, and they are educated for officer service in the Navy and the Marine Corps. More than 4,000 midshipmen make up the brigade.
What degree does it award?
Midshipmen graduate with a Bachelor of Science. Majors are offered through these academic areas.
How is teaching organised?
Departments are gathered in three areas: engineering and weapons, mathematics and science, and humanities and social sciences. Each midshipman follows a major within this structure plus professional training.
Where is it located?
The academy occupies a campus in Annapolis, Maryland. Visitors and applicants should check the official site for access rules.
How does it differ from a civilian university?
It is a federal service academy, so students prepare for commissioned naval service rather than for the open job market. Admission and obligations after graduation are set by service rules.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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