institution of higher learning for the training of commissioned officers for the U.S. Coast Guard, founded by act of Congress in 1876. The academy since 1932 has occupied a 90-acre (36-hectare) site 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of New London, Conn., overlooking the Thames River.

Entrance to the Coast Guard Academy is restricted to unmarried persons between the ages of 17 and 22 at the time of their appointment. Unlike the naval and military academies, appointment to the Coast Guard Academy is obtained exclusively through nationwide competitive examinations. There are no political nominations. Women were admitted to the academy beginning in 1975. The Coast Guard Academy confers on its graduates the bachelor of science degree and a commission as ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard.