Great Lakes Maritime Academy

The Maritime Academy Route › Great Lakes Maritime Academy

The short answer

Part of Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan, training deck and engine officers for the Great Lakes as well as oceans.
Maritime courses cost the same for every student, regardless of residency: $579 per credit hour in 2026–27, plus a maritime program fee.

What it costs

	In-district	In-state	Out-of-state
Maritime courses (per credit hour)	$579	$579	$579
Maritime program fee (per semester, excl. summer)	$500	$500	$500
General education courses (per contact hour)	$136	$291	$378

2026–2027 Northwestern Michigan College rates. Additional per-hour general fees apply. Housing, uniforms and sea projects are extra; the academy publishes full program cost sheets by program and residency. Source: NMC 2026–27 Tuition and Fees.

Student Incentive Payment (SIP) program

Students at the six state maritime academies can apply for MARAD's Student Incentive Payment program, which pays up to $64,000 over four academic years. It is optional, and it comes with a service obligation: keep a Merchant Mariner Credential with an officer endorsement for at least six years, sail as a merchant marine officer on U.S.-flagged vessels for at least three years, and accept a reserve commission and serve at least eight years. Breaking the agreement can mean being ordered to active duty or repaying the money with interest. MARAD SIP booklet (2024)

Before you apply

Check that you can qualify for a Merchant Mariner Credential, including the medical standards, before you commit. Before You Spend Money →
Ask the academy which majors lead to an unlimited Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer license; not every major does.
Ask what is not in the published cost: uniforms, sea terms, travel to the ship, and licensing fees.

Costs change every year. Figures on this page come from the sources linked below and were checked in October 2026. Confirm current costs, admission requirements and deadlines with the academy before you apply. Mariners Online is not affiliated with any academy, MARAD or the Coast Guard.

Compare all seven academiesCosts side by side, and how the academy route compares with hawsepiping.Not sure an academy is for you?See the hawsepipe route to Third Mate.