United States Coast Guard Academy

United States Coast Guard Academy is a federal service academy located in New London, Connecticut. Established to educate and commission officers for the United States Coast Guard, it offers a four-year undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. Cadets receive military and leadership training alongside coursework in engineering, science, government, and maritime studies. Upon graduation, they are commissioned as ensigns and serve on active duty. As the smallest of the five U.S. federal service academies, it maintains a focused academic environment centered on maritime safety, security, and stewardship missions. The academy attracts students interested in military service, leadership development, engineering, and public service careers connected to national defense and maritime operations.

United States Coast Guard Academy was founded in 1876 as the Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction, established to provide formal training for officers of the Revenue Cutter Service. The first class trained aboard the schooner Dobbin, combining classroom study with practical seamanship. Captain John A. Henriques served as the first superintendent, guiding the early development of the institution. In 1915, following the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service, the school became the United States Coast Guard Academy. The academy later moved to its present campus in New London, Connecticut, in 1932, expanding its academic facilities and adopting a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Over time, United States Coast Guard Academy broadened its curriculum in engineering, science, and leadership studies while maintaining its military mission, evolving into the modern federal service academy responsible for commissioning Coast Guard officers.