United States Naval Academy

Overview

United States Naval Academy is a public institution that was founded in 1845. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,525, its setting is city, and the campus size is 338 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. United States Naval Academy's ranking in the 2017 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 12.

The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Maryland, where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay, approximately 33 miles east of Washington. It is the second oldest of the five federal service academies. Students, known as midshipmen, are officers in training and their tuition is fully funded by the U.S. Navy in return for active-duty service after graduation. The Naval Academy has NCAA Division I intercollegiate varsity sports and competes in the Patriot League and the American Athletic Conference. Navy is known for its long-standing football rivalry with the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Midshipmen must meet certain physical education requirements during all four years in order to graduate. The school offers more than 70 extracurricular activities for midshipmen, from the debate team to the scuba club. All midshipmen live in Bancroft Hall, a huge dormitory complex, and receive a monthly stipend.

Graduates from the United States Naval Academy earn a Bachelor of Science degree and go on to serve in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps. Applicants must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. A tradition on campus is the Ring Dance, when second-class midshipmen receive their class rings. Notable alumni include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space; U.S. Sen. John McCain; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; and former presidential candidate Ross Perot.

Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at United States Naval Academy is 8:1, and the school has 70.2 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at United States Naval Academy include: Economics, General, Systems Engineering, Political Science and Government, General, Mechanical Engineering and Oceanography, Chemical and Physical. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 98 percent.

Campus Services

United States Naval Academy offers a number of student services, including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, health insurance. United States Naval Academy also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at United States Naval Academy, 24 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at United States Naval Academy.