Welcome to the United States Coast Guard Academy’s website, and thank you for your interest in the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Academy. We are proud of our role in developing leaders of character for the Coast Guard, which is a military, maritime, and multi-mission organization. We are the smallest of the five armed forces, and I believe that the more you learn about us the more you will be interested in becoming a part of our heritage. For more information about the Coast Guard, please visit www.uscg.mil.

Many refer to the Coast Guard Academy as the best kept secret in higher education. As the smallest and perhaps most distinctive of the service academies,our mission is to graduate leaders of character who will serve as commissioned officers in the Coast Guard. We have excelled at that mission for over 130 years. The talent of our officer corps is highly regarded by the citizens of this nation, and considered by many to be the best in government. Every day here is devoted to developing these future leaders.

Our academic program is among the nation’s best as reflected in the national rankings and by our accreditation. The classes here are small, our faculty is accessible, and they love their work. All members of our faculty have advising responsibilities. Please browse our website, read our publications, talk to our alumni, and visit our campus. Once you talk with current cadets, and meet our faculty and staff you will know if this is the place you will want to attend college, or if you are a parent, the place you will want your son or daughter to attend. After demonstrating success in the Coast Guard, eighty percent of our graduates go on to attend the finest graduate schools in America, at our expense and at full salary.

Our Division III athletic program is exciting, and is an important part of the academy experience for cadets, whether participating or watching. The focus is on character development, healthy competition, and developing teamwork. Our goal is to develop Coast Guard officers, not attain national rankings. I select coaches for their ability to create leaders for the Coast Guard. Seventy percent of our students, both men and women, participate in at least one intercollegiate sport, so there is no preferential treatment for varsity athletes…other than the preferential treatment everyone receives at the Coast Guard Academy.

My most important responsibility as Superintendent is the safety, security, and personal development of every cadet. You deserve the best, and so do the men and women of the Coast Guard whom our officers will lead after graduation. My promise is that I will do my very best to care for each cadet, while at the same time challenging them to maintain the highest personal standards of honor, respect, and devotion to duty.

Having recently helped my own son and daughter through the college selection process, I know that choosing a school is not easy. I also know that the Coast Guard Academy is not for everyone, but it is for anyone ready for a challenge, and anyone ready and willing to serve their country as a Coast Guard officer.

Semper Paratus! Go Bears!

Rear Admiral J. Scott Burhoe
Superintendent, United States Coast Guard Academy