The United States service academies, also known as the United States military academies, are federal academies for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States Armed Forces.

There are five U.S. service academies.  Click on the academy for a direct link.

• The United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York, founded in 1802
• The United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, founded in 1845
• The United States Coast Guard Academy(USCGA) in New London, Connecticut, founded in 1876
• The United States Merchant Marines Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York, founded in 1943
• The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded in 1954.

Applicants to all service academies, except the United States Coast Guard Academy, are required to obtain a nomination to the schools. Nominations may be made by Congressional Representatives, Senators, the Vice President and the President. Applicants to the Coast Guard Academy compete in a direct nationwide competitive process that has no by-state quotas.

The admissions process to the US service academies is an extensive and very competitive process. The US Military Academy at West Point, the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the US Air Force Academy at Colorado Spring all require an applicant to submit an on-line file and proceed through pre-candidate qualification before an application is provided. All these schools have an extremely competitive application process and are ranked annually by U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.com as one of the most selective colleges and universities in America. The average acceptance rate is between 8-15% for each of the schools.