U.S. Naval Academy

U.S. Naval Academy at a glance

The U.S. Naval Academy is the naval service's undergraduate academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Its public mission develops midshipmen intellectually, physically and ethically for leadership and naval service. Academic and professional education are combined with military development and at-sea summer training, giving the campus an education-centered identity within the Navy's wider installation network.

Naval Support Activity Annapolis provides material, personnel and logistical support for the academy, including small craft, equipment and facilities used in midshipman training. That support activity is across the Severn River from the academy itself. The academy began as the Naval School on the former Fort Severn site and expanded as naval technology and education evolved. Its waterfront campus is in Anne Arundel County on the Severn River near Chesapeake Bay.

Also searched as: USNA, United States Naval Academy.

Sources: U.S. Naval Academy: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview

Mission and major activities

• Educates and develops midshipmen for naval leadership.
• Combines academic study with professional military training.

Sources: U.S. Naval Academy: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview

History and identity

The academy was founded in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft as the Naval School at the former Fort Severn.

Sources: U.S. Naval Academy: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview

Location and community

The academy is in Annapolis on the Severn River near Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County.

Sources: U.S. Naval Academy: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview

Mission and institutional context

The U.S. Naval Academy and Naval Support Activity Annapolis are related institutions with different functions. The Academy develops midshipmen for naval leadership; NSA Annapolis provides installation, logistical and training-support services. The official overview dates the Academy's founding as the Naval School to 1845. Planning question: is the household's connection a midshipman program, an assigned staff billet or another tenant activity? Establish that before applying general family-relocation guidance, since an academic admission or midshipman arrangement is not the same inquiry as a staff member's housing and school transition.

Official sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: installation overview

Understanding the local community

The Academy is in Annapolis, Maryland, on the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay, while the official overview places NSA Annapolis across the Severn from the Academy. Annapolis is in Anne Arundel County and is Maryland's capital. Planning question: which institution or activity is the actual destination, and how does a prospective home fit that location? Retain the Academy and support-activity names when requesting sponsor help. Their shared Annapolis setting is useful regional context, but it does not make every workplace, training activity and household service one location.

Official sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: installation overview

Housing options and planning distinctions

The housing page directs Academy and NSA Annapolis Area Complex arrivals to the Housing Welcome Center. It identifies Liberty Military Housing as the property-management provider for privatized family homes and describes community referrals through the Housing Referral Office. Planning question: which housing category applies to this assignment, and what documents and household needs should be discussed? Use the housing office for current options and availability before narrowing residences. The family-housing guidance should not be interpreted as the accommodation process for an incoming midshipman or as evidence of a home available on a particular arrival date.

Official sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: housing assistance

School systems and education transitions

The Annapolis education page identifies Anne Arundel County Public Schools for the local community and says there are no DoD schools at the Annapolis Area Complex, including the Academy, NSA and tenant commands. It points families to the district's address-based school locator and registration resources. Planning question: which receiving campus and grade arrangement apply to the proposed residence? Confirm that with the district and school liaison before relying on an old school list. The Naval Academy's higher-education mission and the local K–12 school system are different subjects within the same community.

Official sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: education and schools

Published addresses and access

Use the destination label below to distinguish visitor access, a service office and postal mail. A published address does not authorize entry. Confirm current access, sponsorship, appointments and reporting instructions with the official office before travelling.

Before you arrive

Use these questions with your sponsor or gaining organization. They are a starting point for planning, including assignments, courses and training periods that differ from a routine permanent change of station.

1. Confirm the organization, duration and reporting instructions shown on your orders. Ask which office handles your arrival.
2. Clarify lodging and housing arrangements before booking. Ask about availability, required approvals and how to handle a late arrival.
3. Before choosing a home, compare the commute, lease terms, school needs and your household budget. Ask the housing office about the options that apply to your situation.
4. Coordinate household goods and personal travel with the appropriate transportation office. Keep orders, receipts and important family records together.
5. Make a short list of contacts for medical care, schools, childcare and family support, where applicable to your assignment.

Official PCS planning resources   Housing allowance information

Sources: U.S. Naval Academy: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview

Resources for service members and families

Start with the official resources for U.S. Naval Academy and ask which services your household can use. For a training site, rotational location or Reserve component assignment, confirm arrangements with your unit rather than assuming the services of a large residential installation are available.

From this mission to your next career

The mission at U.S. Naval Academy suggests the following areas to consider when describing your experience. These are LockLeed career suggestions based on the public mission, not a list of vacancies or qualifications held by everyone assigned here.

Write down the equipment, systems, processes and teams you personally supported. Add a specific result you can discuss publicly, then match that evidence to the civilian role you want. Keep operational details and sensitive information out of your application.

Official transition resources   Explore SkillBridge programs

Official contacts and installation services

Use the named official resource for this installation or its support community. A directory link does not establish service eligibility, availability or a reporting location. Confirm arrangements with the office or your gaining organization.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and editorial notes

Installation facts above are drawn from the official sources below. Career suggestions and planning questions are LockLeed editorial guidance. Use official offices for current policies, eligibility and arrangements.

1. U.S. Naval Academy: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overviewSupports: overview, mission, local context, planning note, history
2. MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: housing assistanceSupports: expanded guide and official services
3. MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: education and schoolsSupports: expanded guide and official services

Reviewed 2026-09-30. This independent guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Map points are approximate and are not routing or reporting instructions.