California State University Maritime Academy

Cal Maritime students graduate ready to hit the high seas. That's due partly to the school's annual training program, in which students live and work aboard a 500-foot ship, the Golden Bear, following an itinerary that might take them through the Panama Canal or across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. The hands-on experience, plus the rigorous curriculum offerings in the school's seven nautical degree programs, gives graduates the skills and experience to sail smoothly into the job force. Most recently, Cal Maritime created an oceanography degree that fits in well with the school's nautical theme and waterfront campus. The small average class size helps to foster a sense of community and close interactions with professors. The school, one of seven degree-granting maritime institutions in the U.S. and the only one on the West Coast, boasts one of the highest job placement rates within the California State University system, with alumni earning median salaries of nearly $92,000 per year a decade after they enrolled. Its cost of attendance is about on par with national averages. Most people live on campus, and all students have to wear a uniform to class. (Luckily, as the university's website says, "everybody looks good in khaki.")