The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) is America’s second best public regional college in the North and third best regional college according to the 2014 U.S. News and World Report rankings. USMMA has moved up the rankings from last year for undergraduate engineering programs in America, and is now ranked the 22nd best. “Our vision for the Academy is to be the world leader in maritime education,” said Rear Admiral James A. Helis, Ph.D., superintendent of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The U. S. Merchant Marine Academy was the first federal service academy to admit women in 1974. The minority percentage of midshipmen has steadily risen each year. The Class of 2017 is 23 percent minority, compared with 14.4 percent in the Class of 2013.