U.S. Coast Guard Academy

One of five federal military academies, the academic and athletic requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy make it one of the most competitive in the nation. Following a "swab summer" of boot camp, students attend a four-year course free of charge and are required to serve five years in the Coast Guard upon graduation. There are a wide variety of engineering, strategic intelligence, math and science classes along with courses in the humanities. Services include a health clinic and a day care center for children of academy employees. The academy originated aboard a two-masted schooner in Baltimore in 1876, and cadets still learn the ropes aboard the tall ship Eagle, a training vessel captured from Germany during World War II. The campus is open for public visits.