Graduation Ceremony, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

Candidates for admission must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a congressman. Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as midshipmen. Tuition for midshipmen is fully funded by the Navy in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. Approximately 1,300 "plebes" enter the Academy each spring with about 1,000 midshipmen graduating. Graduates are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. The academic program grants a bachelor of science degree with a curriculum that grades midshipmens' performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics. Midshipmen are required to adhere to the Honor Concept.
The United States Naval Academy's campus is located in Annapolis, Maryland, at the confluence of the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay.