About Service Academies
There are five service academies in the United States: The United States Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and The Merchant Marine Academy. Service Academies are free, the only thing you pay for a degree is five years of active duty military service. Service Academies offer great opportunities for engineering students as they have some of the best programs in the United States, and admission is free.
Why Service Academies are a good option
There are several reasons why Service Academies are great options for prospective engineering students. First of all, the academies are free. The only cost to you is 5 years of active duty military service upon graduation. The exception to this is the Merchant Marine Academy, where upon graduation you have the option of working in the Maritime Industry rather than active duty military. Active duty military is not for everyone, but it offers great opportunities for those willing to take advantage of it. You are guaranteed a job when you graduate from these academies. There are tons of different jobs that the military offers, especially in the engineering field. This will give you five years of guaranteed working experience. This is invaluable for finding a high level job as an experienced engineer. If you browse available engineering jobs online, most of them require several years of experience.
The biggest upside to your tuition being free is your return on investment for education. Most students take years paying off their student debt after graduation. This is not the case for academy graduates. You will have the opportunity to graduate debt free, meaning most of the money you make you can use for investments.
What Engineering at a Service Academy is like
Engineering at a Service Academy is not easy. Engineering as a major is not easy, and successfully graduating from a Service Academy is not easy. However, it is possible. Studying engineering at a Service Academy will make you well prepared to handle any challenges that life throws at you. You will learn to manage time, solve problems quickly, and work harder than most other people. These invaluable skills will put you far ahead in the work force after your military commitment. For tips on how to be succesful when studying engineering look at this article.
