Kings Point, NY · Public · 962 undergraduates · suburban
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Selective
USMMA combines a federal academy regimen with professional maritime licensing and roughly a year of shipboard training on operating merchant vessels.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in affordability, and exceptional in career outcomes.Tuition, room, and board are fully funded and cadets receive a salary; admission carries a service commitment.
- Admission
- 32.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 79.7%
1,392 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$90,610 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets U.S. Merchant Marine Academy apart
Academic design
Majors prepare midshipmen for Coast Guard deck or engineering officer licensing while the trimester curriculum integrates substantial professional sea service.
Admission process
Applicants need a qualifying nomination, standardized testing, the Candidate Fitness Assessment, DoDMERB medical qualification, transcripts, and the academy’s separate online application.
Defining experience
Sea Year sends midshipmen to sea for roughly a year, combining shipboard duties, academic projects, professional licensing preparation, and maritime industry experience.
Can I get in?
32.5% admitted
Applicants need a qualifying nomination, standardized testing, the Candidate Fitness Assessment, DoDMERB medical qualification, transcripts, and the academy’s separate online application.
Recent applicant pool
1,392About 32 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 75% submitted an SAT, and 44% submitted an ACT. Most of the admitted class submitted, which makes going without a conspicuous choice.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What U.S. Merchant Marine Academy weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Clear the academic baseline
Majors prepare midshipmen for Coast Guard deck or engineering officer licensing while the trimester curriculum integrates substantial professional sea service.
Complete the specialized assessment
Applicants need a qualifying nomination, standardized testing, the Candidate Fitness Assessment, DoDMERB medical qualification, transcripts, and the academy’s separate online application.
Plan the process early
Apply for congressional nominations early and start DoDMERB promptly; the academy application deadline is February 1, but medical qualification can take months.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Apply for congressional nominations early and start DoDMERB promptly; the academy application deadline is February 1, but medical qualification can take months.
$0 application fee
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. For specialized training, compare those signals with the professional path you intend to follow.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Marine Transportation
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Systems Engineering
What is campus life like?
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy beyond the classroom
Midshipmen live in a regimented academy environment at Kings Point, but major portions of sophomore and junior study occur aboard operating vessels.
The academic structure
Majors prepare midshipmen for Coast Guard deck or engineering officer licensing while the trimester curriculum integrates substantial professional sea service.
The campus rhythm
Midshipmen live in a regimented academy environment at Kings Point, but major portions of sophomore and junior study occur aboard operating vessels.
What changes the experience
Sea Year sends midshipmen to sea for roughly a year, combining shipboard duties, academic projects, professional licensing preparation, and maritime industry experience.