Shipping school worth looking into

The California Maritime Academy has once again ranked high in the annual US News & World Report and Forbes surveys of the nation’s undergraduate colleges and universities. 

The Academy, a part of The California State University system, earned a fourth place ranking from US News among Regional Colleges in the West, with the U.S. Air Force Academy taking the top spot in the category.  Last year, Cal Maritime was ranked 5th.  Forbes magazine’s 2010 rankings place the Academy at 284th among the nation’s colleges and universities based on the quality of its programs and student feedback on the quality of their educational experiences.

The 2011 USNews survey identified 26 top schools in the western U.S. It’s the third straight year that the Academy has finished among the top five schools in the regional rankings.  Cal Maritime President William B. Eisenhardt said while such rankings are always popular, they are most useful as a measure of market perception over time, and an independent confirmation that the quality of the University and its programs is being recognized.

“With our focus on marine trade and transportation, engineering and maritime-related business, logistics, security, law and policy, we are a truly unique institution with challenging programs.  Students tell us they value the small teacher to student ratios and class sizes and the many opportunities for hands-on learning in classrooms, in cooperative study with business, government and industry and on training cruises aboard our 500-foot Training Ship Golden Bear. 

Cal Maritime is one of just seven maritime universities in the U.S. and the only one in the west, serving students from California and the western region, including the Pacific Rim.