United States Naval Academy

Description

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Rotunda steps leading to Memorial Hall

The United States Naval Academy's campus is located in unincorporated Anne Arundel County, Maryland, adjacent to Annapolis,^[6][7] at the confluence of the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay.

In its 2016 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the U.S. Naval Academy as the No. 1 public liberal arts college and tied for the 12th best overall liberal arts college in the U.S.^[8] In the category of High School Counselor Rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges, the Naval Academy is also tied for No. 1 with the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, and is tied for the No. 5 spot for Best Undergraduate Engineering program at schools where doctorates not offered.^[8] In 2016, Forbes ranked the U.S. Naval Academy as No. 24 overall in its report "America's Top Colleges".^[9]

Prospective candidates must either be nominated by certain public officials—or be the child of a Medal of Honor recipient, which entitles a qualified candidate to automatic admission without nomination.^[10] Nominations may be made by members of and delegates to Congress, the President or Vice-President, the Secretary of the Navy or certain other sources.^[11] Candidates must also pass a physical fitness test and a thorough medical exam as part of the application process. The class of 2020 had 1,355 offers of appointment made to 17,043 applicants.^[12] In the 21st century, there have been about 1,200 students in each new class of plebes (freshmen).^[13] The U.S. government pays for tuition, room, and board. Midshipmen receive monthly pay of $1,017.00, as of 2015.^[14] From this amount, pay is automatically deducted for the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, services, and other miscellaneous expenses. Midshipmen only receive a portion of their total pay in cash while the rest is released during "firstie" (senior) year. Midshipmen fourth-class (plebes) to midshipmen second-class (juniors) receive monthly stipends of $100, $200, $300, respectively. Midshipmen first-class receive the difference between pay and outstanding expenses.

Students at the naval academy are addressed as Midshipman, an official military rank and paygrade. As midshipmen are actually in the United States Navy, starting from the moment that they raise their hands and affirm the oath of office at the swearing-in ceremony, they are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, of which USNA regulations are a part, as well as to all executive policies and orders formulated by the Department of the Navy. The same term covers both males and females. Upon graduation, most naval academy midshipmen are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps and serve a minimum of five years after their commissioning. If they are selected to serve as a pilot (aircraft), they will serve 8–11 years minimum from their date of winging, and if they are selected to serve as a naval flight officer they will serve 6–8 years. Foreign midshipmen are commissioned into the armed forces of their native countries.

The graduating class of 2017 had inducted exactly 1,200 midshipmen in 2013 and graduated 1,053 in 2017. 768 were commissioned as Navy Ensigns and 259 as Marine 2nd Lieutenants. This graduating class was composed of 242 women and 811 men^[15] Since 1959, midshipmen have also been eligible for an interservice commission in the Air Force or Army, provided they meet that service's eligibility standards. Starting in 2004, midshipmen also became eligible to seek Coast Guard commissions. Every year, a small number of graduates do this—typically three or four.^{[citation needed]} In 2017, two members of the class were commissioned as Air Force 2nd Lieutenants. A small number of foreign students are admitted each year. In 2017, 17 foreign midshipmen were graduated.

At the beginning of their second-class year, midshipmen make their commitment, also known as signing their "2-for-7." This represents a commitment to finish two years at the academy and then an additional five years on active duty. Upon graduation, midshipmen are obligated to serve at minimum 5 years of service after graduation. Those selected for post-graduate education will continue concurrently with their commissioning obligation for officers in the U.S. Navy and consecutively for officers in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Midshipmen who entered the academy from civilian life and who resign or are separated from the academy in their first two years incur no military service obligation. Those who are separated—voluntarily or involuntarily – after that time are required to serve on active duty in an enlisted capacity, usually for two to four years. Alternatively, separated former midshipmen can reimburse the government for their educational expenses, though the sum is often in excess of $150,000. The decision whether to serve enlisted time or reimburse the government is at the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy. Midshipmen who entered the academy from the enlisted ranks return to their enlisted status to serve the remainder of their enlistment.

United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland