About the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA)

Established by Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790, the United States Coast Guard is America's oldest continuing seagoing service. Its academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) has existed in some form since 1876; in 1915, it was established in the form in which it stands today in New London, Connecticut.

A dignified history

The School of Instruction of the Revenue Cutter Service was founded in 1876, near New Bedford, Massachusetts. Its two-year courses were primarily practical, so it required the services of only one civilian teacher; he was responsible for everything from mathematics to international law. The school was moved a few times before finally settling in New London, Connecticut in 1910. Fifteen years later, it merged with another school and was renamed the Coast Guard Academy. In 1961, the academy was racially integrated, and in 1976, women were allowed to matriculate.

A triumphant present

Today, the USCGA is a thriving institution. Unique among the armed services academies in America, the USCGA does not require a nomination from a member of Congress for admittance; the admissions board instead accepts whichever candidates have the most merit. Classes average around 280 students; 30 percent of them are women. These cadets attend a summer of basic training ("Swab Summer") before formalized schooling starts, and then they attend school for four years, studying one of the academy's eight majors. Following this, they must serve a mandatory five years in the United States Coast Guard.

The USCGA is one of the most selective institutions in America, and its rigorous course of study prepares cadets academically, socially and physically for service in the Coast Guard and the civilian sector.