Category:State maritime academies in the United States

This is a list of State maritime academies in the United States, as defined according to the statutory Merchant Marine Acts (namely Public Law 109-304 (§51506)). The statute states that, as a matter of national policy, "merchant marine vessels of the United States should be operated by highly trained and efficient citizens of the United States and that the United States Navy and the merchant marine of the United States should work closely together to promote the maximum integration of the total seapower forces of the United States." The law directs the Secretary of Transportation to assist State maritime academies in training students for service in the merchant marine of the United States, including "naval science training in the operation of merchant vessels as a naval and military auxiliary". In practice, the Department of Transportation's United States Maritime Administration administers this assistance program.

While there are many maritime colleges in the United States, state maritime academies differ, in that they are eligible to receive annual support payments, as well as the use of a training vessel, from the Federal government. However, as a condition for receiving this Federal assistance, the state maritime academies must conform to Federally-imposed standards for instruction/curriculum, admission, and facilities. As an additional condition, the state maritime academies must require that, in order to graduate, students who are in a merchant marine officer preparation program pass the examination for a license as an officer in the merchant marine of the United States. Out of all the state maritime colleges in the United States, there are only six that meet these conditions; this does not count the United States Merchant Marine Academy, which is a federal service academy, not a state-operated academy.