KINGS POINT, N.Y., September 16, 2013 - The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) is America’s second best public regional college in the North and third best regional college according to the 2014 U.S. News and World Report rankings. USMMA has moved up the rankings from last year for undergraduate engineering programs in America, and is now ranked the 22^nd best.

“Our vision for the Academy is to be the world leader in maritime education,” said Rear Admiral James A. Helis, Ph.D., superintendent of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. “We are very proud of this year’s rankings as well as our continuing recruitment effort to increase the number of women and minority candidates eligible to enter the regiment and maritime industry.”

The U. S. Merchant Marine Academy was the first federal service academy to admit women in 1974. The minority percentage of midshipmen has steadily risen each year. The Class of 2017 is 23 percent minority, compared with 14.4 percent in the Class of 2013. The number of women in the Class of 2013 is the highest in ten years at 16 percent.

"These results are indicative of the outstanding quality, hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff,” said Shashi Kumar, Ph.D., master mariner and academic dean of the Academy.  “With this year’s introduction of our new cutting edge curriculum, we hope to continue our role as the world leader in maritime education.”  

Upon graduation, midshipmen receive a Bachelor of Science Degree and government-issued merchant marine officer license that will help ensure a steady stream of U.S. merchant marine officers to support the nation’s economic and security interests. Kings Point graduates must serve five years on active-duty in the military or work in the maritime industry for five years, with an eight year commission in any branch of the reserves.

This year, The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac rated USMMA second for small colleges with the best 6-year graduation rate.  The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has also just been selected as a Public Ivy for 2013-14 by EducatedQuest.com, one of only 21 U.S. public colleges and universities honored, and is on the Forbes list of top college in the United States. 

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, located in Kings Point, N.Y., educates and graduates merchant mariners and leaders of exemplary character who will serve America’s maritime transportation and defense needs in peace and war. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is administered by the Maritime Administration under the auspices of the Department of Transportation.

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